Athens International Airport

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Athens International Airport
"Elefthérios Venizélos"
Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών
"Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος"
IATA: ATH – ICAO: LGAV
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Greek Government
Serves Athens
Location Spata
Elevation AMSL 308 ft / 94 m
Coordinates 37°56′11″N 23°56′40″E / 37.93639, 23.94444Coordinates: 37°56′11″N 23°56′40″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 (2006)
Passengers 15,079,662
Aircraft operations 190,872
Sources: airport website[1][2]

Athens International Airport (Greek: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών, Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón) known as "Elefthérios Venizélos", (Greek: "Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος") (IATA: ATH, ICAO: LGAV), 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. It was named after the Greek politician Eleftherios Venizelos. 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.[3]

Contents

The airport was opened in 2001 to replace the now-closed Athens (Ellinikon) International Airport. 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 Elefthérios Venizélos, 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: the Main Terminal, and the Satellite Terminal accessible by a foot-tunnel from the Main Terminal. It has two runways that are each approximately 4 kilometres in length. The airport was developed by public-private partnership and Greece holds 55% of the shares. It is regarded as one of Europe's most expensive airports, with restaurants and cafes paying very high rents, and airline companies paying very high landing fees. The airport was awarded "European Airport of the Year" in 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 upgrades 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.

Interchange at the Attiki Odos near the Athens International Airport.
Interchange at the Attiki Odos near the Athens International Airport.

In 2005 and 2006, the Airport was awarded the Skytrax award for best airport in Southern Europe.

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 airport. 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.

3 bus lines are available 24/7. During early morning hours, they leave and reach the airport every 30 minutes. The bus ticket can be purchased onboard and costs €3.

  • European Airport of the Year - 2004
  • Skytrax award for best Airport in Southern Europe - 2005 and 2006[4]

Visual Communication
Visual Communication
Athens International Airport Main Terminal.
Athens International Airport Main Terminal.
Outside Elefthérios Venizélos Main Terminal
Outside Elefthérios Venizélos Main Terminal

The airport is equipped with two robotic systems (robots "Hercules" and "Ulysses") capable of handling suspect devices. They are designed to protect the lives of individuals as well as airport spaces by safely identifying and removing explosives.

Hercules was donated by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. It is a system capable of the safe collection and transportation of explosives for disposal. It is equipped with a spherical shaped tank with a diameter of 120 cm, and two robotic folding arms.

Ulysses is a system worth €94,000, donated by Soukos Robots ABEE. This system was manufactured in order to serve as a supplement to Hercules. It can access more difficult areas than Hercules such as toilets, buses or aircraft. It is a light but highly efficient robot, equipped with a shock-absorbing system allowing movements on rough surfaces.

  1. ^ Athens International Airport: Monthly Passenger Traffic 2006. Athens International Airport. www.aia.gr. Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
  2. ^ Athens International Airport: Monthly Traffic Development compared to 2005. Athens International Airport. www.aia.gr. Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
  3. ^ Athens International Airport: Diversion airport for A380 flight. Athens International Airport. www.aia.gr. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
  4. ^ Airport of the Year - Regional Results. Skytrax. www.worldairportawards.com (2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-03.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_International_Airport"
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