Hermes Airports’ Maria Cosma on the legal dimensions of running the island’s airports (video)

Knowing all the operations of an airport and constantly monitoring and adapting to developments in legislation and the aviation industry in general, are amongst the biggest challenges Hermes Airports’ legal department manages every day.

Maria Cosma, Director of Legal Affairs at Hermes Airport recently talked about to the elements that make her role multidimensional in a sector and organisation that never stops operating and evolving.

Her video interview, in Greek, can be viewed below, followed by a transcript translated into English.

Hermes Legal Department Airports deals, on a daily basis, with the legal support of the company and with legal issues arising from its activities. Our main concern is to ensure that all the company's activities are in accordance with the legislation and the terms of the Concession Agreement with the Republic of Cyprus as well as the assessment of the legal risks that may arise and the development of strategies to deal with them.

The role of in-house legal counsel is critical to the smooth running of airports and requires a combination of legal knowledge, business acumen and communication skills. The biggest challenges we face are knowing all the operations of an airport and constantly monitoring and adapting to developments in legislation and the aviation industry in general so that we can provide legal support to all departments of the company on a wide range of issues.

An important part of our work is drafting and negotiating contracts with partners operating at Larnaca and Paphos airports. There are currently approximately 650 agreements in place between the company and third parties which include agreements with airlines and service provider, loan agreements and concession agreements for key airport functions such as the operation of duty-free shops and cafes, aviation security and of aircraft fuel terminal operation.

We also legally support tender processes, manage any legal disputes or lawsuits that arise and draft and review internal regulations and policies relating to the operation of airports and the organisation. We also conduct KYC checks ensuring the legitimacy of the company's transactions with third parties and manage relationships with government bodies and other regulatory bodies.

Through our participation in international forums such as the Policy Setting Committee of the International Association of European Airports we have the opportunity to be informed about the developments in European regulations and legislative frameworks concerning air transport and also to actively contribute to the formation of positions.

The position of in-house legal counsel at Hermes Airports offers multi-dimensional experiences in a sector and a space that never stops working and keeps us all on our toes.

This interview first appeared, in Greek, in Flight Mode magazine. Click here to view it.