Sakis Arnaoutoglou, a Greek MEP from the Socialists and Democrats group, has raised concerns about medical preparedness and emergency care services at international airports in the European Union, particularly at Heraklion's Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, which served over 10 million passengers in 2025. In a parliamentary question submitted on 15 July 2026, Arnaoutoglou asks the European Commission whether EU-wide guidelines or best practices exist for medical staffing and pre-hospital emergency care at international airports, and whether the Commission considers such services a factor in passenger safety and the resilience of critical transport infrastructure. He also inquires about EU funding tools available to member states to strengthen medical preparedness at high-traffic airports.
while aviation safety standards are harmonised, medical emergency services at airports may lack common benchmarks, affecting passenger safety and infrastructure resilience. Arnaoutoglou's query targets the Commission's role in setting standards and providing financial support, potentially impacting airport operators, national health authorities, passengers, and EU tourism-dependent regions. The Commission is expected to respond within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal whether it views airport medical preparedness as a matter for EU-level coordination or national discretion.