Ellinikon International Airport
Ellinikon International Airport, sometimes spelled Hellinikon (Greek: Ελληνικόν), was the international airport of Athens, Greece, for 63 years. Following its closure on 28 March 2001, it was replaced in service by the new Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos. The airport was located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Athens, and just west of Glyfada. It was named after the village of Elliniko, now a suburb of Athens. The airport had an official capacity of 11 million passengers per year, but served 13.5 million passengers during its last year of operations. A large portion of the site was converted into a stadium and sports facilities for the 2004 Olympic Games.
Ellinikon International Airport Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ελληνικού | |||||||||||||||
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Aerial view of the airport in 1998. The construction site on the top of the image is what would become the new Athens airport. | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Hellinikon S.A. | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Athens | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Elliniko, Athens | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1938 | ||||||||||||||
| Closed | 28 March 2001 | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | Olympic Airways | ||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Trans World Airlines | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 21 m / 68 ft | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°53′54″N 23°43′46″E | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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The airport is closed to all aviation. | |||||||||||||||
The former airport is now the site of a major development for coastal Athens, which came under criticism because well-preserved historic buildings (from the 1930s) were demolished. In 2020, construction began on the Hellenikon Metropolitan Park, a complex consisting of luxury homes, hotels, a casino, the Inspire Athens tower, a marina, shops, and offices; it is estimated to be completed by 2025.
The airport site is bordered by beaches to the west, by the Glyfada Golf Club to the south, by the Elliniko-Glyfada municipal boundary, and by a residential area. The Athens radar center is still based at Elliniko.