Athens Airport

Information and map of the airport of Athens

The Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos ( named in honor of the great Cretan politician Eleftherios Venizelos) began operation in March 2001 and replaced the Hellenikon International Airport, which served for decades the capital of Greece, Athens.

The plans for transfer of the airport from Hellenikon between Alimos and Glyfada to another location began from the late 60's when Athens began to expand as well as the density of population and houses around the Hellenikon Airport. The old airport was separated in the East airport (International flights) with access from Vouliagmenis avenue and the West airport (domestic flights and Olympic airlines main base) with access from Poseidonos avenue.

In the early 1990's, the Hellenikon airport could not handle the increased passenger demands of the future - unless extended. As an extension was now impossible, and the complaints about noise, pollution and high risk to multiply, the Greek Government took the decision to transfer the airport in an area outside the town namely in Spata. Finally on July 1995, the German company Hochtief took over the construction of the new Airport of Athens and joint ownership with the Greek government.

In accordance with the standards of IATA the Athens Airport code is ATH and in accordance with those of the ICAO is LGAV. The airport can be access through the Attica highway and by rail (suburban railway line 3 of the Athens Metro). There are also express lines of the Greek buses OASA from various parts of the city to the airport and taxis.

The airport has one main terminal and a satellite one, it has 2 runways corridors , the first with dimensions 4000 m. length and 45 metres width and another one with 3800 meters length and 45 metres width . Both runways have ILS system.

Within the Athens Airport there are numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, banks, ATM and travel agencies. The Athens airport is one of the most modern ones in Europe and in 2008 was honoured with the environmental award Green Building by the European Commission because it succeeded in reducing energy consumption despite an increase in passenger traffic.