Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-16

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Legendary F4 Phantom retired from Airforce

[02] New DEPA managing director named

[01] Legendary F4 Phantom retired from Airforce

The minister was at the head of a formation of four aircraft that flew over Thessaly and then landed at the military airport, where a ceremony for the retirement of the 337th squadron of the 110th battle wing was underway.

The minister had arrived at the airforce base in Larissa early on Friday morning in a C-130 military transport plane, accompanied by MP for Larissa Christos Zois and Greek Airforce chief Lt. Gen. George Avlonitis.

After the farewell flight, Spiliotopoulos said he was very moved and later announced that the squadron will be reformed in 2006 with 20 F-16 fighter aircraft, which are top of the range in the Greek Airforce.

During the ceremony, Spiliotopoulos was presented with an aircraft cockpit and the men in the squadron gave him a model of an F-4 Phantom with the serial number 500 and the markings of the first Phantom plane that came to Greece with Spilios Spiliotopoulos as its pilot, which also flew during the conflict on Cyprus on July 14, 1974.

The F-4 Phantom was legendary for its versatility and effectiveness, which earned it the nickname "Phabulous Phantom". It has gone down in history as one of the most successful supersonic jet fighters, capable of flying almost any kind of mission, as well as the most long-lasting. The first Phantoms went into the air in 1958 and the production line ended in 1978, making it one of the longest in the world.

[02] New DEPA managing director named

Papageorgiou will take over the post from DEPA president and current managing director Raphael Moissis, who will remain president of the board of directors of the state corporation.

Moissis is departing from the post of managing director but is retaining the post of president of the board, following agreement with development minister Dimitris Sioufas.

Moissis informed Sioufas in September that he wished to leave the post of managing director for economic reasons. He submitted his letter of resignation to Sioufas in late November, and the resignation will be approved and enter into force upon completion of the procedure for his replacement.

Papageorgiou studied Law at Thessaloniki's Aristotelion University and holds an MBA from Bentley College in Boston (US). He has worked in the past in senior positions in Greek and multinational companies while, for the past 19 months, he has served as managing director of the Proasitakos S.A. company which runs Athens' suburban railway.

Sioufas said that DEPA comprised a central intervention lever of the state for further development of the natural gas network in Greece and expansion of its use on the domestic market.

The minister expressed certainty that Moissis, in his capacity as President of the corporation, and in cooperation with the new managing director, Papageorgiou, would continue to contribute, with the same zeal, to further development of DEPA "which already boasts significant successes both at home and internationally".

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