Are the seaplanes stopping the recently announced Split Airport catamaran from moving forward?
Seaplane company European Coastal Airlines (ECA) has been grounded since August 2016 thanks to a decision by the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency. However, the remains of this company are still visible today, even though they’ve gone bankrupt after a failed attempt to settle, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on February 24, 2019.
Things like prefabricated booths for tickets sales, passenger check-in, and refreshments are still placed in the Split City Port, but also at the Split airport, where they are especially hindering the new catamaran line to Split this summer.
The Split Port Authority plans to secure the necessary infrastructure to sail the catamarans from Split airport to the city this summer, which, therefore, will contribute to reducing traffic jams on the roads.
Vice Mihanović from the Split Port Authority confirms that the legacy of ECA, especially at the Split airport, is a vital issue in the way of realizing this project.
“Our Governing Council seized the concession of the seaplane company over a year ago, and their appeal to that decision was rejected. And the Port Authority has issued a solution to remove the remaining infrastructure because it endangers the safety of navigation, so all conditions have been created for their assets to be removed as the concession is no longer valid.
We are in contact with the bankruptcy manager to resolve this situation within a few months, but there is no financial room to remove it with ECA funds,” Mihanović said.
“Some of the removal bids we received are from 200 to 300 thousand kuna, but I believe we will find a solution in the next couple of months to complete the planned catamaran line by summer,” said the head of the Port Authority.
The latest news is that ECA's Creditor Assembly was held on Friday and bankruptcy manager Vlaho Monković confirmed that a decision was made to sell the assets of a company as soon as possible to settle debts.
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