Athens International Airport

Athens International Airport "Elefthérios Venizélos" Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών "Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος"
IATA: ATH – ICAO: LGAV ATH Location of the airport in Greece
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Public/Private consortium[1]
Operator		Athens International Airport S.A
Serves		Athens, Greece
Location		Spata, Greece
Hub for		Aegean Airlines Hellenic Imperial Airways Olympic Air
Elevation AMSL		308 ft / 94 m
Coordinates		37°56′11″N 23°56′40″E / 37.93639°N 23.94444°E / 37.93639; 23.94444Coordinates: 37°56′11″N 23°56′40″E / 37.93639°N 23.94444°E / 37.93639; 23.94444
Website		www.aia.gr
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
03R/21L	13,123	4,000	Asphalt
03L/21R	12,467	3,800	Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Passengers			14,446,963
Passenger change 10–11			6.3%
Aircraft Movements			173,296
Movements change 10-11			9.6%
Sources: Passengers,[2] Aircraft Movements,[3] Cargo[4]

Athens International Airport (Greek: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών, Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón) known as "Elefthérios Venizélos", (Greek: Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος) (IATA: ATH, ICAO: LGAV), began operation on 29 March 2001 and is the primary civilian airport that serves the city of Athens and the region of Attica. The airport is the major hub and base of Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air. The airport serves more than 14 million travellers annually and its name honours the Greek statesman Eleftherios Venizelos. The airport has become increasingly popular as a gateway to Asia and the Middle East.^{[citation needed]} As of late 2011, the airport is the thirtieth busiest airport in Europe.

General information

The airport was opened in March 2001 to replace the now-closed Athens (Ellinikon) International Airport. The first arrival was an Olympic Airways flight from Montreal^{[citation needed]} and the second one was an Olympic Aviation flight from Kythira;^{[citation needed]} while the first departure was a KLM flight to Amsterdam.^{[citation needed]} The airport is located between the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa, about 20 km (12 mi) to the east of central Athens (30 km (19 mi) by road, due to intervening hills). The airport is named after Elefthérios Venizélos, the prominent Cretan political figure and Prime Minister of Greece, who made an outstanding contribution to the development of Greek aviation and the Hellenic Air Force in the 1930s.^{[citation needed]}

The airport currently has two terminals: the Main Terminal, and the Satellite Terminal accessible by a foot-tunnel from the Main Terminal. As of 2009, a new above ground link to the midfield satellite terminal is under construction with a completion date by the end of 2010.^[5] Once completed, the complex will be used as a Schengen facility.^[5] It has two runways that are each approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) long. The airport was developed by public-private partnership with Greece holding 55% of the shares.

The airport is designed to be upgraded over the ensuing years in order to accommodate the increase in air travel,^{[citation needed]} and its upgrades are planned in a six-phase framework.^{[citation needed]} The first (current) phase initially allowed the airport to accommodate 16 million passengers a year, but was upgraded to 21 million passengers a year without progressing to the next phase thanks primarily to IT advances.^[5] The sixth phase will allow the airport to accommodate as many as 50 million passengers a year. The current runways are designed to accommodate 50 million passengers a year with the completion of the sixth phase.^[5] In 2010, the airport handled 15,411,952 passengers, 5% less than in 2009.^[6]

It is also an airport that has received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency^[7] and the Federal Aviation Administration^[7] for take-offs and landings of the biggest passenger jet worldwide, the Airbus A380.^[7]

The first Airbus A380 made an emergency landing at 'Eleftherios Venizelos' Athens International Airport on the 13th April 2011 as a passenger suffered a heart attack.^{[citation needed]}

It is also among the 30 busiest airports in Europe.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005 and 2006, the Airport was awarded the Skytrax award for best airport in Southern Europe.^{[citation needed]}

Terminals

Main Terminal

Control tower

The Main Terminal Building handles the all intra-Schengen flights, as well as several non-Schengen flights. All check-in desks are located in the Main Terminal. It has three separate levels, one for arrivals, one for departures and a food court level complete with a view of the eastern runway.

Satellite Terminal

The Satellite Terminal handles non-Schengen flights only. It is easily accessible through an underground link complete with moving walkways. In 2009, part of the Satellite Terminal was closed and a new above ground link to the midfield satellite terminal was completed by the end of 2010. The complex is now used as a Schengen facility.^[5] It has two levels, one for arrivals and the other for departures.

Airlines and destinations

The main terminal building, seen at night.

View of section of the exterior of the airport (Departures Level)

Check-in desks.

The Main Departures Screen.

Check-in desks

Olympic Air A320 landing at Athens

Cargo airlines

Traffic and statistics

Athens International Airport ' El. Venizelos 'is one of the thirty busiest airport in Europe , in 2011 it ranked at 30th busiest airport by total passenger traffic after Helsinki and Lisbon which are all international airports.

Annual passenger numbers

Passenger numbers at El. Venizelos^[15]

Year	Passengers handled[nb 1]	Passenger % Change	Cargo (Kilograms)	Cargo % Change	Aircraft Movemets	Aircraft % Change
2002	11,827,448	26 !	106,813,249	26 !	159,467	26 !
2003	12,252,317	02 !3.6	109,741,122	09 !2.7	170,129	09 !6.7
2004	13,662,332	02 !11.5	118,999,247	09 !8.4	191,048	09 !12.3
2005	14,281,020	02 !4.5	115,942,974	09 !2.6	180.936	09 !5.3
2006	15,079,708	02 !5.6	120,174,745	09 !3.6	190.872	09 !5.5
2007	16,538,403	02 !9.7	118,972,376	09 !1.0	205.295	09 !7.6
2008	16,446,491	02 !0.4	122,195,965	09 !2.7	199.418	09 !2.9
2009	16,225,589	02 !1.5	104,520,932	09 !10.5	210.147	09 !5.4
2010	15,411,099	02 !5.0	96,676,103	09 !7.5	191.766	09 !8.7
2011	14,446,963	02 !6.3	85,831,845	09 !11.2	173.296	09 !9.6
2012[until April]	3,493,723	02 !10.3	18,513,641[until March]	09 !11.6	45.336 [until April]	09 !11.9

Ground transport

From bottom to top: Main Terminal, Short-term parking lot, Metro Station and Attiki Odos, long-term parking lot.

Road

The airport is accessible by the Attiki Odos toll highway from the centre and northern Athens, Varis-Koropiou Avenue from the western part, Laurio Ave. from the South, and Spata-Loutsa Avenue from the East. A variety of parking options are available on site at the airport in three different parking lots. Located at the arrivals level, opposite the airport terminal, the airport offers short-term parking for up to five hours with 1,357 parking spaces available in lots P1 and P2.^[16] Long-term parking is located across the airport's main access road (Attiki Odos) with 5,802 parking spaces in lot P3.^[17] A free shuttle bus is available to transport passengers, while the lots are also accessible by foot to the terminal. Premium valet service is also offered at the Departures level by Entrance 3.^[18]

Currently, all of the parking lots are exposed to the elements. As of 2009, a new 3,800 space multi-story parking structure is in the design phase and is expected to open in the summer of 2011.^[5]

View of the bridge that connects the airport with the Metro Station; Sofitel Hotel stands in the background.

Taxi

Taxis are available at the designated Taxi waiting area located by exit 3 of the arrivals level.^[19] Limousine service is also available upon request by the inner curbside of the arrivals level between exits 3 and 4.^[19]

Rail

A rail station immediately adjacent to the airport terminal is accessible by an elevated walkway. The station is served by both the Athens Metro and suburban rail service Proastiakos. The station is connected with line 3 of the Athens Metro,^[20] while it is also connected to the Athens Central Railway Station (Larissis Station) and the port of Pireaus as well as to Corinth via Proastiakos.^[21]

Station with covers suburban service

Bus

Bus stop outside the airport

Bus serving the airport

Four bus lines (X93, X95, X96, X97) connect directly to the Athens greater area, the intercity bus stations (KTEL Kiffisos and Lionson Stations) and Piraeus.^[22] Buses disembark passengers at the departures level and depart from the arrivals level between exits 4 and 5.^[22]

Regional bus services by KTEL Express also operate to the airport, currently connecting the airport to Rafina, Markopoulo, Lavrio, Kalyvia, and Keratea.^[22] Passengers disembark at the departures level, and depart from the arrivals level between exits 2 and 3.^[22]

Awards

• European Airport of the Year - 2004
• Skytrax award for best Airport in Southern Europe - 2005,2006 and 2008^[23]
• GreenBuilding Award for its exemplary energy saving figures reflected in the two previous years (2006, 2007) - 2008^[24]

Airline lounges

Many airline users of Athens International Airport operate passenger lounges. First and Business Class passengers of the respective airlines and partner alliances can enjoy lounge facilities at the airport. Airline lounges at the airport include:

• Aegean Airlines CIP Lounge
• British Airways 'Terraces' Lounge
• Goldair Handling CIP Lounge
• Lufthansa 'Senator' Lounge
• Olympic Air 'Melina Merkouri' Lounge
• Olympic Air 'Aristotelis Onassis' Lounge
• Swissport 'Executive' Lounge

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Athens Airport

• Official website
• Airport information for LGAV at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• LGAV current wind

v t e Airports of Greece International Alexandroupolis: Dimokritos Airport Athens: Eleftherios Venizelos Airport Chania: Ioannis Daskalogiannis Airport Corfu: Ioannis Kapodistrias Airport Heraklion: Nikos Kazantzakis Airport Kalamata: Nestor Airport Kavala: Megas Alexandros Airport Cephalonia: Odysseas Airport Kos: Hippocrates Airport Lemnos: Hephaestos Airport Mytilene: Odysseas Elytis Airport Rhodes: Diagoras Airport Samos: Aristarchos Airport Thessaloniki: Macedonia Airport Zakynthos: Dionysios Solomos Airport Domestic Astypalaia: Panaghia Airport Chios: Omiros Airport Ikaria: Icarus Airport Ioannina: King Pyrros Airport Kalymnos: Pothaea Airport Karpathos: Ammopi Airport Kastoria: Aristotelis Airport Kithira: Eptanisos Airport Kozani: Filippos Airport Milos: Afroditi Airport Mykonos: Delos Airport Naxos: Apollon Airport Paros: Artemis Airport Patras: Araxos Airport Preveza: Aktion Airport Santorini: Zefyros Airport Skiathos: Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport Skyros: Aegeo Airport Syros: Demetrius Vikelas Airport Volos: Nea Anchialos Airport Municipal Kasos: Aghia Marina Airport Kastelorizo: Megisti Airport Leros: Dodekanisos Airport Sitia: Vitsentzos Kornaros Airport Private Porto Cheli: Kanaris Airport Military Alexandreia Airport Athens: Tatoi Airport Kotroni Airport Larissa: Thessaly Airport Maleme Airport Rhodes: Maritsa Airport Sedes Airport Sparti Airport Tripoli Airport Tympaki Airport Suspended operations[HCAA map 1] Agrinio Airport Andravida Air Base Epitalio Airport Kasteli Air Base Closed down Athens: Ellinikon Airport Triodos Airport Volos: Nea Ionia Airport ^ "Χάρτης Αερολιμένων". Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. http://www.hcaa.gr/content/index2.asp. Retrieved 17 May 2011.