On June 5, 2026, Hellenic Seaplanes did something nobody in Southeast Europe had done before: they started flying passengers between countries in a seaplane. The inaugural route connects Ioannina, Greece with Vlorë, Albania, and more destinations are already on the drawing board. It sounds niche until you realize what this actually means for travelers tired of crowded airports and ferry queues.
The launch ceremony happened in Ioannina, where the company revealed something bigger than a single new flight. Nicolas Charalambous, CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, framed this as the opening move in creating the Mediterranean's first seaplane network. "Today we are not simply inaugurating a new route, but a new way in which the coastal and island regions of the Mediterranean can be interconnected," he said. The ambition extends well beyond Greece and Albania. The company plans to eventually weave together coastal cities, islands, and tourist destinations across the Adriatic, Ionian Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and even into North Africa.
Greece has always exported sun and beaches to the world, but Charalambous sees this differently. He frames seaplanes as an export of something deeper: infrastructure, innovation, and a model for sustainable regional connectivity. It's a meaningful shift in how the country positions itself in Mediterranean travel.
How did this actually happen?
The story started in July 2024 when key figures gathered in Ioannina. Albania's General Consul, Irida Laci, met with the Mayor of Vlora, Ermal Dredha, and Charalambous to explore the possibility. The Greeks brought a plan for ten water airports based around Vlora, Albania's second-largest port. Within months, test flights were already happening on Lake Pamvotida in Ioannina, marking the first seaplanes to land there in 15 years.
What makes this expansion possible is that Albania actually invited the project. This isn't a company muscling its way into new territory. Laci, speaking at the 2024 meeting, saw clear benefits for her country. "Being part of the seaplane network will allow both Albanian citizens and visitors to travel quickly, flexibly, and safely," she said. For Albania, water airports represent a development opportunity, another way to optimize ports and attract visitors without building massive new infrastructure.
What travelers need to know
If you're planning a trip to this corner of Europe, seaplanes offer something different from the usual airport grind. The service between Ioannina and Vlorë cuts through the traditional hassle of overland border crossings. Flights to Pogradec are coming next. Lake Pamvotida Water Airport, where operations launched, has finished all licensing procedures and the city has begun selecting a contractor to build and run the facility properly.
The timing matters too. This launch happens as Greece increasingly attracts travelers looking for alternatives to overrun Mediterranean destinations. Adding seaplane routes into Albania opens up less-explored territory without the crowds that pack Greece's islands in summer.
Hellenic Seaplanes already runs an established network of licensed seaplanes throughout Greece. They're not starting from zero. That existing infrastructure and expertise is what makes the Albania expansion credible. The company isn't dreaming in the abstract. They're building on real operational experience.
What comes next is ambitious. The vision includes gradually developing connections across the wider Adriatic and Ionian regions, eventually extending to the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond. The company frames this as a "strategic partnership" with Albania centered on infrastructure development and new cross-border transport corridors. For travelers, that means more flexibility, faster connections between coastal and island destinations, and a genuinely novel way to experience the region.
Whether you're chasing adventure, curious about emerging travel infrastructure, or just tired of the usual flight experience, this seaplane network is worth watching. It's early days, but for travelers planning trips to Greece and the Balkans in the coming years, this could reshape how you move between countries.
