Greek International Airports

[Shawnna Franz]

Theairports of Greece serve millions of locals and visitors from abroad throughout the year, making it possible to reach various locations on the Greek mainland or the islands in no time.

The biggest airport in Greece is the International Airport of Athens, which is located right outside the capital and can be easily reached by bus, suburban railway, or metro from the city center. Athens International Airport receives the majority of foreign visitors arriving in Greece; from there, most of them catch a connecting flight to travel to the Greek islands by plane or get to one of the ports of Athens to travel to the islands by ferry.

It is good to know that the majority of airports in Greece are not connected via direct flights; to get from one place to the other, most of the time you will have to get a connecting flight at the Airport of Athens or take a bus, train, private transfer or ferry.

Greece boasts some International Airports, which serve domestic and international flights, and National Airports which only serve domestic flights (maybe some charter flights from abroad from time to time, too).

Below, you will find more information on both types of airports in Greece.

Situated at various locations in Greece and the Greek islands, the country's International Airports have been designed to receive domestic flights, as well as scheduled or charter flights from abroad.

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. Intercontinental direct flights between Athens and the US, Canada, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also available.

The second biggest International Airport in Greece is the Airport of Thessaloniki, which is quite popular among those spending their vacation in the northern part of the country.

Other notable international airports include the ones of Heraklion, Santorini, and Mykonos, which get quite crowded during the summer, as they serve several seasonal flights from abroad.

Note: International Airports on the Greek islands make it possible to get there directly from several locations outside Greece, without having to get a connecting flight at the airport of Athens. However, if a flight from the capital is required to reach an island, keep in mind that depending on your destination, travel time is usually between 40 and 60 minutes.

Islands that have international airports, such as Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Skiathos, Corfu & Kefalonia, are usually connected to other islands via ferry crossings, which tend to be cheaper than plane tickets.

National Airports are generally smaller than International ones. They are situated in various locations, including many islands and a few cities on the mainland. Most of them serve only domestic flights directly from Athens and a few ones from Thessaloniki, allowing travelers to reach another location easily.

Domestic flights are highly recommended to visitors from abroad who arrive at Athens International Airport and wish to travel to the islands. In this way, you will save a lot of time by not having to go to the port to catch a ferry.

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El. Venizelos opened its doors in 2001, replacing the old Ellinikon International Airport. It was named after the great Greek politician and prime minister, who had a huge impact on the modern history of Greece. Its construction was put into place occasioned by the upcoming 2004 Olympic Games. Verily, the new airport utterly served the risen passenger needs during that period of time. Still, the passenger traffic continued increasing from that moment on. Hence, nowadays, millions of travelers fly from or to ATH Airport, mainly during the high tourist season (the summer months). As a matter of fact, in 2022, Athens Airport welcomed more than 22.7 million tourists, almost springing back to its pro-covid levels.

Athens Airport is listed among the busiest airports in Europe. Therefore, all the major airlines as well as subsidiary and low-cost air carriers are present at El. Venizelos. International providers and local air carriers fly from and to Athens International Airport. Unsurprisingly, ATH Airport is a home base for Aegean Airlines, the Greek flag carrier. Moreover, it is a key hub for other, smaller airlines.

El. Venizelos Airport is an international air hub. Therefore, its provided services and amenities are various and top-rated. Moreover, it is an accessible aviation hub and is considered eco-friendly. All in all, ATH Airport offers its passengers a pleasant traveling experience. As a matter of fact, some of the provided services are:

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

Athens Airport has two terminals, the main terminal and the Satellite terminal, which are connected via an underground link. In the long term, the airport is planned to be expanded to cope with the rising passenger traffic.

Are you looking for a stress-free ride from Athens Airport to city? You can choose between Athens airport taxis and private airport transfers. Do you value independence above all? Then, opt for an airport car rental! On the other hand, if a low-cost transfer is your top priority, you can use the public buses, the metro, or the suburban train, frequently departing from ATH Airport.

Greece, the breathtaking crib of European tradition and culture, is one of the most famous countries in the world. Particularly, it is popular among tourists for its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes.

At the moment there are 15 international airports in Greece. They are located mostly on the islands since those are very popular tourist destination. However, traveling across the country is simple and there are connections with every part of Greece.

Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, more commonly referred to simply as Athens Airport, serves the Greek capital and Attica region. By far the busiest airport in Greece, Athens Airport is the main international airport in the country. However, it also handles much of the domestic traffic as well.

Chania or Daskalogiannis Airport is an international airport located on the Akrotiri Peninsula of Crete. The airport is 14 kilometres away from Chania, and is well-connected with the city by public transport. CHQ has a single terminal, with departures and arrival halls at the opposite sides of it.

Corfu Airport, also called Ioannis Kapodristrias Airport, is an airport on the Greek island of Corfu. This destination welcomes millions of tourists, with the peak of traveling season is during summer. Paricularly, between April and October. So, it is no surprise that this is the period with the most frequent flights.

The airport is located 2 km south of Corfu Town, which is possible to reach by public transport or taxi. As many other airports in Greece, Corfu has a single terminal with many amenities and services for passengers awaiting their flights.

Heraklion or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is the second busiest of airports in Greece. It serves the air traffic of the island of Crete and is located 5 km east of the main city center. Furthermore, HER has a single terminal that is divided into domestic and international departures and arrivals.

It features flights to biggest European destinations and leisure centers, and during the high season offers connections to more than 100 locations. In fact, the international flights majorly connect HER with many cities in France and Germany.

The Hippocrates Airport is the other name of this smaller airport located near the Andimachia village serving the island of Kos. Interestingly, the airport has a single terminal, separated into Departures and Arrivals areas. Interestingly, the Departures area has many services and amenities, including restaurants and Duty-free shops.

Since the island is a very popular tourist destination, the airport marks a high passenger traffic every summer. Naturally, this includes many international and domestic flights. Some of the airlines that frequent at KGS are Eurowings, EasyJet, Transavia, Condor and Aegean Airlines.

The airport serving Mykonos island is located only 4 km from the city centre. During the low season it has limited flight connections and operating hours. However, this changes in summer when the island becomes a popular tourist destination. The airport terminal has different areas for arrivals and departures, and offers many amenities in both areas.

The airport is well-connected with Mykonos by public transport, buses and taxi services. Interestingly, direct and non-stop flights from and to major European metropolitan areas operate at JMK. Some of those cities include Vienna, Paris, Brussels, Budapest and Milan. However, there are also flights from and to non-European cities. Such as, Beirut, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.

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