Athens International Airport (Greece) – Location, Geography, Facts

Athens International Airport is the principal international airport serving Greece and the Athens metropolitan area.

Athens International Airport, Greece.

Country: Greece
Coordinates: 37.8983° N, 23.7294° E

Athens International Airport overview

Athens International Airport is the principal international airport serving Greece and the Athens metropolitan area. The airport is a civil aviation facility with two parallel runways and a modern international terminal complex, and it serves as the primary air gateway for Attica. Athens International Airport is operated through a corporate entity responsible for terminal management and airfield infrastructure, and it functions as a national transport hub linking Greece to international and domestic air networks.

Athens International Airport coordinates

Athens International Airport is commonly mapped at approximately 37.8983° N, 23.7294° E, or 37.8983, 23.7294 in decimal degrees.

Degrees: 37.8983° N, 23.7294° E

Decimal: 37.8983, 23.7294

Where Athens International Airport is located

Athens International Airport is located on the Mesogeia plain in the eastern part of the Attica region, within the municipal area commonly associated with Spata and Artemida. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 37.936° N, 23.944° E, placing it east of central Athens and inland from the Aegean shore. The site occupies relatively flat terrain at the edge of a coastal plain, bordered by agricultural land and peri-urban development characteristic of eastern Attica.

Why Athens International Airport is important

Athens International Airport matters as the main civil aviation facility replacing the congested inner-city airport and consolidating international connections for Greece. Its significance includes a purpose-built terminal complex designed for mixed long-haul and short-haul operations, direct integration with urban rail infrastructure, and an airfield layout that supports simultaneous runway operations. The airport also functions as an operational base for national air transport planning and as a logistical node for air cargo that serves the broader Aegean economic region.

History of Athens International Airport

Athens International Airport was developed as a planned relocation of the capital’s principal air operations to a site capable of larger-scale, modern aviation infrastructure. The airport’s creation followed assessments that the previous Athens airport could not accommodate projected traffic and larger aircraft types. Construction established new runways, aprons, a consolidated passenger terminal, and supporting utilities, creating a single complex intended to centralize international and domestic services. Subsequent expansion phases adapted apron space and terminal capacity to evolving operational standards and regulatory requirements.

Natural features of Athens International Airport

The terminal of Athens International Airport is a long linear structure with a prominent glass-and-steel envelope that admits daylight into circulation areas, while the airfield comprises two parallel east–west runways surfaced for heavy aircraft operations. Architectural character emphasizes linear piers and a central concourse that separates landside and airside flows, and the air traffic control tower is positioned to give an unobstructed view across both runways and apron areas. The site’s flat Mesogeia plain setting determined the low-profile, spread-out plan of the terminal and ancillary buildings.

Environment, protection, and monitoring of Athens International Airport

Operational governance for Athens International Airport combines corporate management with oversight from national aviation authorities responsible for safety, noise regulation, and environmental compliance. Environmental management at the airport addresses typical airfield concerns such as aircraft noise, stormwater runoff, and wildlife hazard control, and it involves monitoring programs and mitigation measures aligned with national environmental legislation. Long-term stewardship emphasizes maintenance of pavement, utility systems, and terminal fabric, plus coordination with regional planning bodies on land use around the airport.

Athens International Airport facts

Athens International Airport is officially named "Eleftherios Venizelos" after the prominent Greek statesman.
The airport was built to replace the former Ellinikon Airport and to consolidate Athens's main aviation facilities at a single, purpose-designed site.
The facility is situated at approximately 37.936° N, 23.944° E on the Mesogeia plain east of central Athens.
Athens International Airport operates with two parallel runways that allow concurrent movements under normal air traffic procedures.
Terminal and airfield operations are administered by Athens International Airport S.A., the corporate operator responsible for infrastructure and services.

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