The Athens Stock Exchange today welcomed the management, executives, and partners of Athens International Airport (AIA) to mark the commencement of trading of the company’s shares on the Main Market of the Exchange. The CEO of AIA, Mr. Ioannis Paraschis, rang the traditional bell to signal the start of the session. The event was honored by the presence of the Minister of Finance of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Christos Staikouras.

In his speech, the CEO of the Athens Exchange Group, Mr. Yianos Kontopoulos, referred to the day as a milestone for both the Greek Stock Exchange and the Greek economy. He emphasized: “Today’s listing of Athens International Airport on the Stock Exchange marks a pivotal development for the Greek market, sending a strong message about the investment potential of our country. Additionally, it inaugurates the start of public offerings for 2024 across Europe, as this is the first public offering to take place in Europe. We are welcoming a company with a total capitalization of €2.5 billion, whose public offering was oversubscribed 12 times. This is the largest public offering conducted on the Stock Exchange in the past 18 years, and the historic investor interest demonstrated will allow the company to move to its next phase of development, while also serving as a key pillar for the growth of tourism, which is the backbone of our economy.”

From his side, Mr. Ioannis Paraschis, CEO of Athens International Airport, highlighted: “The moment we have worked hard for has arrived. Starting today, AIA shares are available to the investing public, and with this, we complete a milestone public offering for the Greek market. I sincerely thank all those who worked for this success, as well as the investment community for its impressive participation and strong confidence in the company and our development plans.”

Minister of Finance of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, noted: “The listing of Athens International Airport is a success for the airport, the Athens Stock Exchange, and the economy. It is a success for AIA because it is accelerating, strengthening its capital, and entering a new era! Remember how Eleftherios Venizelos Airport was 23 years ago,” adding: “It is a success for the Athens Stock Exchange, which now includes a company with high capitalization – with a 12-time oversubscription of the offered shares. With a series of measures taken by both the Athens Stock Exchange and the state, such as reducing the capital-raising tax from 0.5% to 0.2% and cutting the securities transaction tax by 50%, the Greek capital market is being strengthened. These are also good news for the Greek state, which collected €785 million via the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF). Moreover, the listing of Eleftherios Venizelos Airport adds to a series of privatizations and concession agreements made recently, which demonstrate the trust of investors in the Greek economy.”

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Christos Staikouras, stated during his speech: “The size of investor bids, the price, and the overall process of the public subscription reflect the developmental potential of the airport, highlight its strategic significance for Greece, and strengthen its position in the global air transport map. At the same time, they confirm that the Greek economy has turned a page. It is growing, upgrading, and strengthening. It is becoming more resilient. It is increasingly becoming more outward facing, relying more on investments. Investments for the modernization and expansion of the airport will continue, with the aim of increasing the airport's capacity to host more aircraft and passengers, aiming to raise terminal capacity to 50 million passengers annually by 2046.”

Mr. Dimitris Politis, CEO of HRADF, emphasized: “The listing of AIA on the Athens Stock Exchange is an iconic achievement for the Greek capital market and the national economy. The massive interest in the Combined Offering for the disposal of 30% of AIA shares in Greece and abroad proves that our country has regained lost ground and is an attractive destination for the international investment community. It also demonstrates that HRADF possesses the expertise to carry out such a complex and ambitious endeavor. Warm congratulations to everyone who worked to make this visionary project a reality.”

Finally, the Chair of the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission, Ms. Vasiliki Lazarakou, commented: “The listing of AIA is a milestone for the Athens Stock Exchange. It is an important step that enhances the prestige and reach of the Greek capital market. From our side, the Capital Markets Commission supports and will continue to support, with all its strength, the ongoing efforts to upgrade the Greek stock market.”