Airport of Athens Greece Eleftherios Venizelos ATH
Athens International Airport (ATH) is located 33 km. southeast of the city. Inaugurated in 2001, it is a modern, well-equipped, and well-structured airport that serves 15 million passengers annually.
The airport consists of two terminals connected by an underground tunnel: the main area, where national airlines operate, is divided into Areas A and B, while the smaller satellite terminal is designated for charter flights.
The Airport of Athens 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. The Airport is the main gate for fights to Greece and from Greece to all the world.
Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (named in honor of the great Cretan politician Eleftherios Venizelos) began its operations in March 2001, replacing Hellenikon International Airport, which had served Greece’s capital, Athens, for decades.
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.
Technical Details of Athens Airport
Terminals
The main terminal is spread over three levels: one for arrivals, one for departures, and another featuring duty-free shops, bars, cafés, and restaurants with a view of the eastern runway. This terminal handles all Schengen flights as well as many non-Schengen flights and has the capacity to serve 10 million passengers annually.
The baggage handling system includes 144 check-in counters and is equipped with fourteen passenger boarding bridges, two inclined tray sorters, and eleven baggage belt conveyors totalling approximately 3,000 meters in length. The second terminal has two levels, one for departures and one for arrivals.
It is easily accessible from the main terminal via an underground link equipped with moving walkways. It has ten passenger boarding bridges and can handle an annual traffic of approximately six million passengers. The purpose of this terminal is to serve as an overflow for increased air traffic during peak periods.
Airport Facilities
Athens International Airport offers 4,800 short- and long-term parking spaces. All parking facilities are equipped with automated payment machines for quick and easy payment, while electronic message boards provide continuous information regarding available parking spots. Inside the terminals, there are more than 50 selected shops and 14 dining facilities offering a wide variety of specialties.
The airport’s internet center, available for businesses and private individuals, is equipped with offices featuring desktop computers, internet access, phones, photocopy machines, fax machines, laser and color printers, scanners, and office supplies. The center also includes a conference room. Additionally, meeting rooms can be rented through the airport services and administration department.
A full range of postal and courier services is provided by the Hellenic Post, located on the Arrivals Level of the Main Terminal Building.
Free internet service is available within the airport terminal areas and is offered free of charge for 45 minutes.
Car rentals
Many car rentals companies operate at the airport, their main desk located at the arrivals section of the airport towards the end of the building after gate B.
Getting to Athens
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.
With the subway
Line 3 (Agia Marina – Doukissis Plakentias – Airport) connects the city center to the airport. At the airport, the metro platforms are 5 minutes from the Departures and Arrivals entrance and the blue line reaches all metro stops in the center of Athens and connects to any other metro or tram line. The journey takes about 30-45 minutes, depending on your stop.
The first train from the airport to Monastiraki is at 6:30 am, and leaves every 30 minutes, and the last train from the airport to Monastiraki is at 11:30 pm. The first train from Monastiraki to the airport is at 5:50 am and the last from Monastiraki to the airport at 22:58.
The ticket price is 10 euros per person or 5 euros for students who have an active student card, and the ticket is valid for any type of transport for 90 minutes from the time of validation, this means you can change and board on a bus or tram, for example, within 90 minutes of activating your ticket, you don’t have to buy another one if you haven’t run out of minutes.
By suburban train
The suburban train, an extension of the blue line of the Athens Metro from the airport, is accessible by crossing the terminal’s street. It is the same as the subway. There is a long way that will take you right in front. Keep in mind that passengers from the airport to the center of Athens can take the suburban train to Doukissis Plakentias station and from there, get on the metro with the same ticket (direction Agia Marina).
Otherwise, passengers from Athens to the airport can go by metro to Doukissis Plakentias station (or Neratziotissa station) and from there take the suburban train to the airport. The one-way ticket from the airport costs around 10 euros per person (or half with a valid student card). Routes depart daily from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm-11:00pm, and you can buy your ticket at any suburban or metro station.
You can check the suburban train timetables in English on Athens Transport.
By bus
There are several bus lines to and from the airport. Buses depart from the Main Terminal Building right next to the exit (gate 4-5). Below I will list the bus lines that connect the airport to each suburb of Athens:
X95 Syntagma Square – Airport Express. It takes you from the airport to the center of Athens, exactly in Syntagma Square. This is a round trip, so take the same route back from Syntagma Square to the airport. It leaves every 10-30 minutes, all hours of the day and the journey takes about an hour. It is convenient to take this bus if you are staying in the center of Athens.
X96 Piraeus- Airport Express. It departs from the airport and arrives at the northwest side of the main port of Piraeus and back. The ride takes 90 minutes. It is ideal if you need to reach a suburb of the Attica coast, such as Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni or Piraeus.
Keep in mind that bus services to Syntagma and Piraeus run 24 hours a day, usually running every 20 minutes, but every 40 after midnight.
X93 connects the airport (gate 5) to the bus terminals on Kifissou street and Liossion street. It runs every 35 minutes (65 at night) and the ride takes 65 minutes. It is ideal if you have to go to Peristeri, Aigaleo, Liosia, etc.
X97 arrives at Ellinikon metro station. It is perfect if you need to reach Neos Kosmos, Dafni or Agios Dimitrios. Night buses (00: 00-4: 55) leave from Dafni metro station – not Ellinikon – and take 45 minutes to get to the airport or vice versa.
For the airport bus lines, the ticket costs 6-8 euros one way to and from the airport – or half price for students. You can buy the ticket from the driver, at metro stations or at ticket offices. For more information on bus timetables, check the Oasa website.
It is important to be alert to possible strikes in Greece that can affect bus, metro or suburban train schedules. If you wish to use another means of transport, for any reason, you can always contact the information office at the airport.