Athens International Airport: Size, Scale, And Significance

Athens International Airport, also known as AIA, is the largest airport in Greece and the Balkan peninsula. It is located in the region of Spata, 30km east of Athens city centre, and covers an expanse of 16,000 acres, making it one of the largest airports in Europe and the world in terms of land area. The airport is technologically advanced and modern, designed to accommodate the ever-increasing number of travellers with a capacity of 16 million passengers a year and 600 daily flights. With two parallel runways, a main terminal, and a satellite terminal, Athens International Airport is a bustling hub for both domestic and international travel, serving as a strategic junction between Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Balkans.

Athens International Airport is the largest airport in Greece

Athens International Airport is a modern facility, inaugurated in 2001, to replace the old Ellinikon International Airport, which had reached its maximum capacity. The new airport was constructed with a cost of €2.1 billion and was completed ahead of schedule. It features two parallel runways, the longer of which is 4 kilometres long, and the airport has received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration for take-offs and landings of the Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world.

The airport is technologically advanced and well-equipped to handle a high volume of passengers and flights. It currently caters to 16 million passengers annually, with a capacity for 600 daily flights and 65 flights per hour. The main terminal spans 150,000 square metres and has four floors, connected to a satellite terminal through underground tunnels. The airport also boasts an extensive commercial area of 42,000 square metres, with 35 shops, and various parking options, including 4,800 parking spaces for vehicles and 65 parking stations for aircraft.

Athens International Airport is easily accessible from the city centre and surrounding areas. It is connected to Athens by a new motorway, the Attiki Odos, and can also be reached via Varis-Koropiou Avenue from the west, Laurio Avenue from the south, and Spata-Loutsa Avenue from the east. Additionally, the airport has an adjacent railway station, with Athens Metro line 3 and the suburban railway service providing convenient train connections.

It covers 16,000 acres, making it one of the largest airports in Europe

Athens International Airport, officially named Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, is a large airport covering 16,000 acres (25.0 sq mi; 64.7 km2). To put this into perspective, the airport is as large as a town. It is one of the largest airports in Europe and the world in terms of land area. The airport is located between the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata, and Loutsa, about 20 km (12 mi) to the east of central Athens.

The airport has two terminals: the main terminal and the satellite terminal, which is accessible from the main terminal via an underground link. The main terminal spans 150,000 square meters and has four floors, 163 check-in desks, 7 information desks, and a commercial area of 42,000 square meters with 35 shops. The airport is designed to be extended modularly to accommodate the growth in air travel.

Athens International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Greece, serving the city of Athens and the region of Attica. It is also one of the busiest airports in Europe, handling over 25 million passengers annually and ranking as the 16th-busiest airport in Europe in 2024. The airport is a major hub for Aegean Airlines and other smaller Greek airlines, offering hundreds of domestic and international destinations.

The airport features two parallel runways, with lengths of 4 km (2.5 mi) and 3.8 km (2.4 mi), respectively, and 65 parking stations for aircraft. It has a wide range of parking options for passengers, including short-term parking for up to five hours in lots P1 and P2, providing a total of 1,357 parking spaces. Additionally, the airport offers an Airport Hotel and easy access to the Attiki Odos toll highway, connecting it to central and northern Athens.

The airport is named after Elefthérios Venizélos, a prominent Cretan political figure

Athens International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Greece. Covering an expanse of 16,000 acres (25.0 sq mi; 64.7 km2), it is among the largest airports in Europe and the world in terms of land area. The airport is named after Elefthérios Venizélos, a prominent Cretan political figure and Prime Minister of Greece, who made significant contributions to the development of Greek aviation and the Hellenic Air Force in the 1930s.

Elefthérios Venizélos was born in 1864 in Mournies, a village near Chania in then-Ottoman Crete. His father, Kyriakos Venizelos, was a Cretan merchant and revolutionary. Due to his father's involvement in the Cretan revolution of 1866, the family fled to the island of Syros, where Venizelos spent his final year of secondary education. He went on to study law at the University of Athens Law School, graduating with excellent grades in 1885. Upon returning to Crete in 1886, he worked as a lawyer and journalist, which led to his early foray into politics.

Venizelos entered politics in 1889 as a member of the island's liberal party, distinguished for his eloquence and radical opinions. He played a significant role in Crete's struggles for political autonomy from the Ottoman Empire and its eventual integration into Greece. In 1905, he led the Therisos Revolt, seeking to remove the High Commissioner from power and achieve a union with Greece. This rebellion ended with international intervention, leading to the resignation of Prince George, the High Commissioner, and a step towards Crete's union with Greece.

In 1909, Venizelos was invited to Athens to resolve a political deadlock and became Prime Minister. He initiated constitutional and economic reforms, modernizing Greek society and reorganizing the Greek Army and Navy in preparation for future conflicts. Through his diplomatic skills, Greece doubled its area and population with the liberation of Macedonia, Epirus, and most of the Aegean islands. During his time as Prime Minister, he also brought Greece to the side of the Allies in World War I, further expanding the country's borders.

It is located 20-30km from central Athens and is accessible by motorway, bus, and taxi

Athens International Airport, also known as AIA, is located 20-30km from central Athens. It is easily accessible by motorway, bus, and taxi. The airport is situated on the east side of Athens and is well-equipped and modern. It is named after Eleftherios Venizelos, a prominent Cretan political figure and former Prime Minister of Greece, who made significant contributions to the development of Greek aviation.

The airport is technologically advanced and designed to accommodate the ever-increasing number of travellers passing through. It covers a vast area of 16,000 acres, equivalent to the size of a town. The main terminal spans 150,000 square metres and features four floors, with 163 check-in desks, 7 information desks, and a commercial area boasting 35 shops. The airport also offers parking for 4,800 cars and an airport hotel.

Athens International Airport is conveniently accessible by motorway via the Attiki Odos toll highway from central and northern Athens. Those travelling from the western part of Athens can take the Varis-Koropiou Avenue, while Laurio Ave connects the airport to the south, and Spata-Loutsa Avenue from the east. The airport is also easily reachable by bus from the city centre and the three ports.

For those seeking a more direct option, taxi services and private transfers are available, providing a comfortable and efficient journey to and from the airport. This option may be particularly useful for travellers with early morning or late-night flights.

Athens International Airport is a modern and well-equipped airport, conveniently located and easily accessible from central Athens by various means of transportation. It serves as a strategic junction, connecting Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Balkans.

The airport has two terminals and can cater to 16 million passengers annually

Athens International Airport, also known as AIA, is the largest airport in Greece and the Balkan peninsula. It is located in the region of Spata, about 20 to 30 kilometres east of central Athens. The airport covers a vast expanse of 16,000 acres (25.0 sq mi; 64.7 km2), making it one of the largest airports in Europe and the world in terms of land area.

The airport has two terminals: the main terminal and the satellite terminal. The main terminal spans 150,000 square metres and features four floors, 163 check-in desks, 7 information desks, and a commercial area with 35 shops. The satellite terminal is accessible from the main terminal via an underground link. The airport is designed with a modular approach, allowing for future expansion to accommodate growing air travel demand.

Athens International Airport can handle 16 million passengers annually, 600 daily flights, and 65 flights per hour. It features two parallel runways, each over 3,800 metres long, capable of accommodating the largest passenger jet in the world, the A380. The airport has received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration for take-offs and landings of the A380.

The airport is easily accessible by various transportation options. The Athens Metro line 3 and the suburban railway service Proastiakos connect the airport to the city. Additionally, several avenues, including Varis-Koropiou Avenue, Laurio Avenue, and Spata-Loutsa Avenue, provide access to the airport from different directions. The Attiki Odos toll highway, a modern six-lane motorway, also links the airport to central Athens.

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