Athens Airport: Who's In Control?

who runs the athens greece airport

Athens International Airport, officially named El. Venizelos, is the largest airport in Greece, serving the city of Athens and the region of Attica. The airport is currently operated by AIA S.A., with ownership divided between the Hellenic Republic (Greek State) and the private sector. Athens International Airport is the main base of Aegean Airlines and is known to be the busiest airport in Greece, serving millions of locals and foreign visitors annually.

Characteristics Values
Name Athens International Airport, Eleftherios Venizelos, El. Venizelos, Venizelos International Airport
Abbreviation AIA
IATA Code ATH
ICAO LGAV
Operator AIA S.A.
Owner Hellenic Republic (Greek State) and Private Sector
Private Investors Copelouzos Group (5%) and PSP Investments of Canada (40%)
Location Between the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa, about 20 km (12 mi) to the east of central Athens
Distance from Athens City Centre 33 km/20.5 miles or 30 km
Accessibility Attiki Odos toll highway, Varis-Koropiou Avenue, Laurio Ave., Spata-Loutsa Avenue, Athens Metro Line 3, suburban railway service Proastiakos, bus line X95, X93, taxis, etc.
Parking Options Three parking lots, i.e. P1, P2, and P3
Terminals Two, i.e. the "main terminal" and the "Satellite" terminal
Halls Two, i.e. Hall A and Hall B
Check-in Desks 153
Runways Two, i.e. 4 km (2.5 mi) and 3.8 km (2.4 mi) long
Gates 44

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The airport is named after Eleftherios Venizelos

Athens International Airport is named after Eleftherios Venizelos, a Cretan Greek statesman and prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movement. Venizelos was born in 1864 in Mourniés, Crete, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He served as the prime minister of Greece for over 12 years, across eight terms, from 1910 to 1933.

Venizelos made a significant contribution to the development of Greek aviation and the Hellenic Air Force in the 1930s. Before the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, his catalytic role helped Greece gain entrance to the Balkan League, an alliance of Balkan states against the Ottoman Empire. Through his diplomatic skills, Greece doubled in size and population with the liberation of Macedonia, Epirus, and most of the Aegean islands. During World War I, he brought Greece to the side of the Allies, further expanding Greek borders.

Venizelos initiated constitutional and economic reforms that laid the foundation for the modernisation of Greek society. He also reorganised the Greek Army and Navy in preparation for future conflicts. In addition, he played a crucial role in securing the autonomy of the Cretan State and its subsequent union with Greece.

Athens International Airport, officially named "El. Venizelos", is the largest and busiest airport in Greece. It began operations on 28 March 2001, replacing the old Ellinikon International Airport. The airport is located in Spata, about 12 miles northeast of Athens city centre. It is the main base of Aegean Airlines and serves both domestic and international flights.

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It is operated by AIA S.A

Athens International Airport is currently operated by AIA S.A. AIA is an abbreviation for Athens International Airport, and the airport is officially named "Eleftherios" Venizelos, after the prominent Cretan political figure and Prime Minister of Greece, who made significant contributions to the development of Greek aviation.

Athens International Airport is the largest airport in Greece, serving the city of Athens and the region of Attica. It is also the busiest airport in Greece and was ranked 16th busiest in Europe in 2024. AIA is located between the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa, about 20km (12 miles) to the east of central Athens. It is accessible by the Attiki Odos toll highway from the centre and northern Athens, and from the western, southern and eastern parts of the city via Varis-Koropiou Avenue, Laurio Ave. and Spata-Loutsa Avenue, respectively.

The airport has two terminals, the Main Terminal and the Satellite Terminal, connected by an underground link. The Main Terminal has three levels, with a dining area, and separate levels for arrivals and departures. It also has two Halls, with Hall A handling flights from non-Schengen and non-European countries, and Hall B handling domestic services and flights from Schengen Area countries. The Satellite Terminal has two levels, one for arrivals and one for departures.

Athens International Airport is the main base of Aegean Airlines and several smaller Greek airlines. It is also a member of Group 1 of Airports Council International, which includes airports with over 25 million passengers. The airport covers 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. It has two runways, one 4km long and the other 3.8km long, and both are approved for take-off and landing of the A380, the biggest passenger jet worldwide.

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It is the largest and busiest airport in Greece

Athens International Airport, officially named “El. Venizelos” and abbreviated as AIA, is the largest and busiest airport in Greece. It is located in the region of Spata, about 20-33 km (12-20.5 miles) from Athens city centre. The airport is named after Eleftherios Venizelos, the former Prime Minister of Greece, who made significant contributions to the development of Greek aviation and the Hellenic Air Force in the 1930s.

Athens International Airport is a major hub for aviation in Greece and is listed among the busiest airports in Europe. It serves both domestic and international flights, offering connections to various locations on the Greek mainland and the islands. The airport is easily accessible from the city centre by bus, suburban railway, or metro. It is also connected to other destinations in Greece via bus, train, or private transfer.

The airport features two terminals, the "main terminal" and the "Satellite" terminal, connected through an underground link. The main terminal has three levels, including a dining area, arrivals, and departures. It also has two halls, with Hall A handling flights from non-Schengen and non-European countries, and Hall B accommodating domestic services and flights from Schengen Area countries. The Satellite terminal has two levels for arrivals and departures.

Athens International Airport began operations in 2001, replacing the old Ellinikon International Airport. It covers 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 parallel runways, with lengths of 4 km (2.5 mi) and 3.8 km (2.4 mi), and it is designed to handle up to 50 million passengers annually. It is currently a member of Group 1 of Airports Council International, serving over 25 million passengers.

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It is accessible by bus, train, and car

Athens International Airport, officially named El. Venizelos, is the largest airport in Greece, serving the city of Athens and the region of Attica. It is located about 20-35 km from the city centre, in the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa. The airport is accessible by bus, train, and car.

By Bus

The X95 bus express line runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, connecting the airport to Syntagma Square in downtown Athens. Buses depart every 20-40 minutes and the trip takes about 55 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. Tickets cost 6 EUR one-way and can be purchased on-board or from the ticket booth outside the arrivals hall. The slower suburban bus line X93 also provides service between the airport and Athens, but only operates from 5:30 am to midnight.

By Train

Athens Metro line 3 (the blue line) connects the airport to the city centre, with trains running every 30-36 minutes from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes, and tickets cost 9 EUR one-way. The suburban railway service Proastiakos also connects the airport to Athens central Larissa station and the port of Piraeus, with trains running from 5 am to midnight every hour. Tickets for this service cost 10 EUR one-way.

By Car

Athens International Airport is accessible by the Attiki Odos toll highway from central and northern Athens, Varis-Koropiou Avenue from the west, Laurio Ave. from the south, and Spata-Loutsa Avenue from the east. The drive from downtown Athens takes around 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic.

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It serves both domestic and international flights

Athens International Airport, officially named “El. Venizelos” and abbreviated as AIA, is the largest airport in Greece and the Balkan peninsula. It is also one of the busiest airports in Europe, serving both domestic and international flights.

The airport is located in the region of Spata, about 12 miles or 20 kilometres from central Athens. It is accessible by the Attiki Odos toll highway from central and northern Athens, as well as Varis-Koropiou Avenue from the west, Laurio Ave. from the south, and Spata-Loutsa Avenue from the east. The airport is also easily reachable by bus, suburban railway, or metro from the city centre.

Athens International Airport has two terminals: the Main Terminal and the Satellite Terminal. The Main Terminal has three levels, with a dining area, and separate levels for arrivals and departures. It also has two halls: Hall A handles flights from non-Schengen and non-European countries, while Hall B handles domestic services and flights from Schengen Area countries. The Satellite Terminal has two levels, one for arrivals and one for departures.

The airport is currently operated by AIA S.A., with ownership divided between the Hellenic Republic (Greek State) and the private sector. It is the main base for Aegean Airlines and other smaller Greek airlines.

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Frequently asked questions

Athens International Airport is currently operated by AIA S.A. and ownership is divided between the Hellenic Republic (Greek State) and the Private Sector.

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, commonly initialised as AIA.

The airport was named after Elefthérios Venizélos, the Cretan political figure and Prime Minister of Greece, who contributed to the development of Greek aviation and the Hellenic Air Force in the 1930s.

Athens International Airport began operations on 28 March 2001.

Athens International Airport is located 33km southeast of Athens. You can get there by metro, bus, taxi, train or car.

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