when was athens airport built

How old is the Athens airport?

The airport had an official capacity of 11 million passengers per year, but had served 13.5 million passengers during its last year of operations....Ellinikon International Airport.Hellinikon (or Ellinikon or Hellenikon) International Airport Διεθνής Αερολιμένας ΕλληνικούLocationElliniko, AthensOpened1938Closed28 March 200114 more rows

Why was Athens airport abandoned?

Five years ago, at the height of Europe's refugee crisis, the sprawling site became an informal settlement sheltering thousands of refugees living in harrowing conditions, its abandoned terminals and Olympic facilities filled by a sea of tents.Feb 26, 2021

Are there two airports in Athens?

Does Athens have only one airport? Yes, Athens International Airport, El. Venizelos, is the only airport in Athens. It serves both domestic and international flights and is the largest airport of Greece welcoming millions of passengers annually.

When was the first airport built?

College Park Airport, US College Park Airport (KCGS), in the city of College Park, Maryland, US, is the world's oldest airport in operation, established in 1909 when Wilbur Wright arrived at the field to train two military officers in the US Army.Feb 12, 2014

Is Athens the only airport in Greece?

The largest and busiest International Airport in Greece is the International Airport of Athens "Eleftherios Venizelos", near the city center of Athens. This airport is connected to all the airports of Greece, while it also receives direct flights from most European capitals and some smaller European cities.

What is Athens airport called?

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International AirportAbout Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is the main airport serving the Greek capital, and it is also the country's busiest.

Who owns Athens airport?

Athens International Airport, about 30km east of Athens, Greece, was officially opened in March 2001. The owner of the new airport is Athens International Airport SA, with 55% of shares held by the Greek state, and the rest owned by a private consortium.Feb 3, 2002

How many airport are in Athens?

The country has many islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands among others....Airports.City served / LocationAthens, HellinikonRegionAtticaICAOLGATIATAATHAirport nameEllinikon International Airport (closed in 2001)66 more columns

Is the Athens airport big?

Athens International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Greece. By the end of 2021, it was the 16th busiest airport in Europe.

Whats the oldest airport in the world?

College Park AirportCollege Park Airport (IATA: CGS, ICAO: KCGS, FAA LID: CGS) is a public airport located in the City of College Park, in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is the world's oldest continuously operated airport.

Which is the oldest airport in world?

College Park Airport1. College Park Airport, United States. The prize for the oldest airport in the world, still in operation, goes to College Park Airport, Maryland, US. It was established in 1909 and refers to itself as the 'Cradle of Aviation.May 11, 2021

Where was the first airport built in the world?

The title of "world's oldest airport" is disputed. College Park Airport in Maryland, US, established in 1909 by Wilbur Wright, is generally agreed to be the world's oldest continuously operating airfield, although it serves only general aviation traffic.

When was the Athens international airport opened?

Athens International Airport – opening of the airport. From March 20 to 21, 2001, the new Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” in Spata will be open to the public between 9:00 and 16:00.

Why was the Athens airport abandoned?

The airport was once the largest in Greece. But years of neglect followed, and the 1,530-acre wasteland, once planned largely as a metropolitan park, was allowed to deteriorate amid disagreements over its redevelopment and plunging Greece into economic chaos after the financial crisis of 2008.

Who built the Athens airport?

History. AIA was established in 1996 with the Greek government as the majority shareholder (55%) and Hochtief with 45% of the capital. The AIA has received € 250 million from the EU for the construction of the new Athens airport. Operations at the Athens International Airport began on March 29, 2001.

When was the Athens airport built?

Athens International Airport, about 20 miles (20 km) east of Athens (30 miles [30 km]winding roads around the hills), was made official in March 2001, after a five-year construction period at a cost. a total of around 2.1 billion euros. opened.

Are there two airports in Athens?

List of airports and their locations. The 2 main and busiest airports in Greece are Athens and Thessaloniki. Athens Airport, El. Venizelos International Airport receives direct flights from most Central European airports, while transferring passengers from all over the world.

Is the Athens airport open for international flights?

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is open and operational. Direct flights between the United States and Greece have resumed. Many airlines also offer flights from Greece, from where you can transfer flights to the United States.

When was Hellenikon airfield closed?

With the end of the Cold War, an end to the USAF presence at the airport was agreed and the United States closed its facilities in 1993. In 1963, the Finnish star architect Eero Saarinen designed the East Terminal building. Before the closure of passenger service, the airport served 12 million passengers a year.

When did Athens international airport open?

Athens International Airport – Airport Opening. On 20th and 21st March, 2001, the new Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” at Spata will be open to the public, from 09:00 to 16:00 hrs.

Why was Athens airport abandoned?

The airport was once Greece’s largest. But years of neglect followed and the 1,530-acre brownfield site — once envisaged largely as a metropolitan park — was left to decay amid disagreements over its redevelopment and Greece’s descent into economic chaos in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Who built Athens Airport?

History. AIA was created in 1996 with the Greek government as a majority stakeholder (55%) and Hochtief holding 45% of the capital. AIA received a 250 million-fund from the EU to build the new Athens airport Operations of the Athens International Airport started March 29, 2001.

When was the Athens airport built?

Athens International Airport, which is situated about 20km east of Athens (the journey by road is 30km due to roads winding around hills), was officially opened in March 2001, after five years of construction at a total cost of around €2.1bn.

Are there two airports in Athens?

List of airports and their locations. The 2 main and busiest airports in Greece are in Athens city and Thessaloniki city. The airport of Athens, El. Venizelos International airport, receives direct flights from the majority of central European airports, while via transfer it receives passengers from around the world.

Is Athens airport open for international flights?

The Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos is open and operational. Direct flights have resumed between the United States and Greece. Many airlines also operate flights departing Greece from which travelers can connect to flights to the United States.

When did Hellenikon Air Base close?

With the end of the Cold War, it was agreed to end the USAF presence at the airport and the United States closed its facilities in 1993. In 1963, the Finnish star architect Eero Saarinen designed the East Terminal building. Prior to closing its passenger service, the airport was serving 12 million passengers per year.

When was Kalamaki airport built?

The airport was built in 1938 . Germans invaded Greece in 1941, and Kalamaki Airfield (as the site was then known) was used as a Luftwaffe air base during the occupation. After World War II, the Greek government allowed the United States to use the airport from 1945 until 1993.

What was the Hellenikon airport redeveloped into?

Main article: Hellenikon Metropolitan Park. After its closure the northwest portion of the airport was redeveloped, converting aprons into a sports park that housed the 2004 Summer Olympics venues for canoe and kayak slalom, field hockey, baseball, and softball.

Where is the Ellinikon airport?

The grounds of the airport are located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Athens, ...

Where is the Olympic Airways Museum?

In April 2011 the Olympic Airways Museum opened in the West Terminal, including three airplanes that had been parked there since the airport's closure. The Athens radar center is still based at Ellinikon.

Who designed the East Terminal?

The East Terminal building was designed between 1960 and 1969 by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. Just before its closure in 2001, the airport recorded a 15.6% growth rate over its previous year, serving 13.5 million passengers per year and handling 57 airlines flying to 87 destinations.

When will Hellenikon be built?

The Hellenikon Metropolitan Park is being constructed with work beginning in 2020 and will consist of luxury homes, hotels, a casino, the Inspire Athens tower, a marina, shops and offices to be built by 2025.

What was the airport in Athens in the 1950s?

Major gateway. The airport was once Greece's largest. Following the end of the war, Hellenikon hosted Greek, US and British forces but by the 1950s it had become Athens's main hub for commercial air travel. Significant reconstruction work followed, including expanded runways and a new control tower and terminal halls.

When did Hellenikon airport close?

Hellenikon shut its doors in 2001. "In the 1990s, the airport had ended up handling well above 10 million passengers [annually]," Vasilis Tsatsaragkos, president of the Olympic Airlines Workers' Cultural Center, tells CNN. "Hellenikon was unable to meet the country's dynamically increasing tourism needs.".

What airport was left to fall apart?

The Greek airport that was left to fall apart. Dimitris Sideridis, CNN • Updated 26th February 2021. View Gallery. 17 Pictures. (CNN) — Serving 20 million passengers a year in pre-pandemic times, the modern clean spaces of Athens International Airport have been the world's gateway to the treasures of Greece for most of the 21st century.

Who launched the Olympc Airways?

Olympc Airways once had exclusive access to Hellenikon's West Terminal. Launched by business magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1957 following an agreement with Greece's government for the exclusive use of air transport, OA swiftly expanded its fleet and helped put the country on the global tourist map.

Who designed the East Terminal building?

Some of its listed buildings that will be preserved from demolition include the former East Terminal building, designed in the 1960s by the firm of groundbreaking Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in the 1960s.

What aircraft did the OA use?

In its first 18 years, OA's fleet had increased from 15 to 28 -- including the technological marvel of the time, a Boeing 747-200B Jumbo bought in 1973 for the Athens-New York route -- but the national carrier went on to face major financial problems in the decades that followed due to chronic mismanagement.

How big is the city of Athens?

The Municipality of Athens (also City of Athens), which actually constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire city, had a population of 664,046 (in 2011) within its official limits, and a land area of 38.96 km 2 (15.04 sq mi).

What is the name of Athens?

It was possibly rendered in the plural later on, like those of Θῆβαι ( Thêbai) and Μυκῆναι ( Μukênai ). The root of the word is probably not of Greek or Indo-European origin, and is possibly a remnant of the Pre-Greek substrate of Attica. In antiquity, it was debated whether Athens took its name from its patron goddess Athena ( Attic Ἀθηνᾶ, Athēnâ, Ionic Ἀθήνη, Athḗnē, and Doric Ἀθάνα, Athā́nā) or Athena took her name from the city. Modern scholars now generally agree that the goddess takes her name from the city, because the ending - ene is common in names of locations, but rare for personal names.

What is the oldest known human presence in Athens?

The oldest known human presence in Athens is the Cave of Schist, which has been dated to between the 11th and 7th millennia BC. Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years. By 1400 BC, the settlement had become an important centre of the Mycenaean civilization, and the Acropolis was the site of a major Mycenaean fortress, whose remains can be recognised from sections of the characteristic Cyclopean walls. Unlike other Mycenaean centers, such as Mycenae and Pylos, it is not known whether Athens suffered destruction in about 1200 BC, an event often attributed to a Dorian invasion, and the Athenians always maintained that they were pure Ionians with no Dorian element. However, Athens, like many other Bronze Age settlements, went into economic decline for around 150 years afterwards.

How many people lived in Athens in 1600?

During the Greek Dark Ages the population of Athens was around 4,000 people, rising to an estimated 10,000 by 700 BC.

What are the two major monuments in Athens?

The city also retains Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a smaller number of Ottoman monuments, while its historical urban core features elements of continuity through its millennia of history. Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery.

Where are the casinos in Athens?

Casinos operate on both Mount Parnitha, some 25 km (16 mi) from downtown Athens (accessible by car or cable car), and the nearby town of Loutraki (accessible by car via the Athens – Corinth National Highway, or the suburban rail service Proastiakos ). Coastline of Palaio Faliro.

When will Athens get snow?

Snowfall in Athens on 16 February 2021. Athens is affected by the urban heat island effect in some areas which is caused by human activity, altering its temperatures compared to the surrounding rural areas, and leaving detrimental effects on energy usage, expenditure for cooling, and health.

How many terminals are there at the Athens International Airport?

Athens International Airport has two terminals known as the “Main Terminal” and the “Satellite” Terminal. The two terminals are connected through an underground link. The Main Terminal is spread through 3 levels. One hosts the dining area and the other two serve the arrivals and the departures respectively. What’s more, the Main Terminal has two ...

What is the name of the airport in Greece?

Athens Airport: Your Gateway to Meet Greece. Athens International Airport, officially named “El. Venizelos” and shortly known as AIA, is the biggest and most widely-known airport in Greece. Located 33km away from Athens city center, in Spata area, Athens airport is the “home” of Aegean Airlines and is listed among the busiest airports in Europe.

Is there an airport in Athens?

Yes, Athens International Airport, El. Venizelos, is the only airport in Athens. It serves both domestic and international flights and is the largest airport of Greece welcoming millions of passengers annually.

What is the biggest airport in Greece?

Athens Airport, officially called the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, is the biggest international airport in the country of Greece. The airport, which started operating on March 28, 2001, to accommodate the influx of visitors coming in for the 2004 Summer Olympics, serves the city of Athens and the Attica region. It is also the central hub for Aegean Airlines along with other Greek airlines. At present, Athens Airport is linked to 172 domestic and international destinations, including most major cities in the world. Apart from that, the airport is also the primary gateway to famous Greek islands such as Santorini, Astypalea, and Skyros.

What to see in Athens airport?

Athens Airport serves as the stepping stone to seeing the magnificent and unique city of Athens. From classical buildings and ancient ruins to historical museums and excellent food options, it’s fairly easy to have a great time in Athens no matter how long your stay is. The city is filled with must-see sites and hidden gems that only the locals would know. If you’re having a hard time planning your Athens itinerary, here are some suggestions for places and activities that you shouldn’t miss.

What is the most important site in Athens?

The Acropolis: No trip to Athens will be complete without seeing the most renowned site in the city – The Acropolis. This World Heritage Site is home to some of the most significant ancient buildings in the world, including the Parthenon, The Erectheion, and The Temple of Athena Nike.

Is it hard to spend a day in Athens?

With a vibrant history coupled with some of the most fascinating ancient sites in the whole world, it’s not hard to spend a day or even a week in Athens. Whether you’re an Athenian playing tourist or a vacationer who’s looking to see as many attractions as possible, you won’t have to worry about heavy luggage with Bounce. With partners all across Athens, all you have to do is find the one nearest you and deposit your things. Using Bounce’s storage service helps you stay stress-free throughout your trip.

Overview

History

Redevelopment

Accidents and incidents

Film use

See also

External links