Athens International Airport known as "Eleftherios Venizelos", which began operation on 29th March 2001, is the only civilian airport that serves the city of Athens.
The airport is the major hub and base for Olympic Airlines, Greece's state-owned airline, and also for Aegean Airlines and serves more than 15 million travellers annually.
The airport is becoming increasingly popular as a gateway to Southeast and East Asia, with flights to Bangkok, Singapore, and Beijing, and is the largest European gateway airport to the Middle East due to its proximity to the region. It is known for its continual investment in pioneering technology.
The airport is also A380 ready, having been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration.
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The airport is located between the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa, about 20 km to the east of central Athens (30 km by road, due to intervening hills).
The airport is named after Eleftherios Venizelos, the prominent Cretan political figure and Prime Minister of Greece, who made an outstanding contribution in the Cretan rising against the Ottoman occupation of Crete in 1896.
The airport currently has two terminals, its Main Terminal and Satellite Terminal, accessible by a foot-tunnel from the Main Terminal, with runways approximately 4 kilometres in length.
The airport was developed by public-private partnership ; Greece holds 55% of the shares.
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It is regarded as one of Europe's most expensive airports, with restaurants and cafes paying very high rents, and airline companies accommodating very high landing fees.
The airport was awarded "European Airport of the Year 2004", within the framework of the annual Institute of Transport Management (ITM) Awards, for its innovative entrepreneurial scheme and the airport's successful operation and achievements.
The airport is designed to be upgraded over the ensuing years in order to accommodate the increase in air travel, and its upgades are planned in a six-phase framework. The first (current) phase allows the airport to accommodate 16 million passengers a year; the sixth phase will allow the airport to accommodate as many as 50 million passengers a year. In 2006, the airport served 15,079,662 passengers, 5.6% more than in 2005.
In 2005 and 2006, the Airport was awarded the Skytrax award for best airport in Southern Europe.
The airport has replaced the old Athens (Ellinikon) International Airport.
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As far as the ground transport related to the airport is concerned the airport is accessible by the Attiki Odos toll highway.
The part of the highway which leads directly to the airport is toll free and is accessible through Koropi and Markopoulo Mesogaias.
Taxis don't have a fixed price to and from the aiport. However, there are standard airport fee, standard luggage fee and the cost of tolls if Attiki Odos is used.
A rail station immediately adjacent to the airport terminal (and accessible by an elevated walkway) was completed in time for the 2004 Olympics.
The station is served by the blue line of the Athens Metro and by the Proastiakos suburban train service. The metro ticket costs €6 for 1 person or €10 for 2 persons.
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3 bus lines are available 24 hours a day. During early morning hours they leave and reach the airport every 30 minutes. The bus ticket can be purchased onboard and costs €3.
For more information according to the flight schedules check the airport's official site
here
