The private terminal at Athens. Where the Greek summer actually begins.
Private flights into Athens use the General Aviation Terminal, with its own entrance away from the scheduled halls. It is open around the clock, and for most of our clients it is not the destination at all. It is the hour before the marina or the island hop.
The terminal
Athens business aviation, at a glance
- AirportAthens (ATH / LGAV)Eleftherios Venizelos, in Spata, about 30 kilometres east of the centre by road, straight onto the Attiki Odos motorway.
- The terminalThe General Aviation TerminalA separate building with its own entrance, lounge and arrivals and departures process, away from the main and satellite passenger terminals.
- HoursOpen 24 hoursThe terminal operates around the clock, which matters in July when the useful departures are early and the useful arrivals are late.
- CustomsHandled at the terminalFormalities for an international arrival are done on the private side. Greece is in Schengen, so an intra Schengen arrival is quicker still.
Cars in Greece and on the islands are arranged through operators we know and brief. Odyssey Connections owns and runs its own cars, with its own employed chauffeurs, in London and Manchester.
The handlers
Who you will be met by
| Handler | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Signature Aviation | Publishes a 24 hour operation at Athens with on site customs, secure ramp access and a crew lounge. One of the aviation partners Odyssey Connections works with. |
| Universal Aviation | A dedicated FBO operating inside the General Aviation Terminal, with its own lounge and agents on duty around the clock. It arranges direct ramp access with prior permission from the airport. |
| Goldair Handling | One of the Greek handlers licensed at Athens, with a large presence across the Greek airports including the islands. |
| Skyserv Handling | Another of the licensed Greek handlers at Athens and across the island network. |
| Swissport Hellas | Also licensed at Athens, mainly known for airline handling but present on the field. |
The Greek handling market is competitive and the list is not exhaustive. We reconfirm the handler and the entrance for every movement. Except for Signature Aviation, named as an existing partner, Odyssey Connections claims no relationship with any of these companies.
Planning it
Athens is rarely where the day ends
Most of the movements we arrange through the General Aviation Terminal are joins. A long haul or European arrival, then either a car to a marina where a yacht and her crew are already waiting, or a short hop on to the Cyclades. The terminal handles its part well. The hour that goes wrong is the one either side of it, and that hour is ours to plan.
For a yacht join, the two questions are the marina and the tide of the traffic. Alimos and Flisvos are the usual answers on the Athenian Riviera and sit 45 minutes to an hour from the terminal in normal conditions. Piraeus, if the vessel is berthed commercially, is further and slower. The Attiki Odos itself is fast and tolled. The time disappears in the last few kilometres down into the coastal suburbs, and worst of all on summer Friday afternoons when the whole city is heading for the coast.
For an island hop, the honest advice is often to ask your operator about flying direct. Mykonos and Santorini both take business jets, and in high summer both have real parking constraints, so the aircraft may drop and go. Where the schedule makes Athens the sensible stop, we hold the car at the terminal rather than releasing it, because the second leg is the one that slips.
Onward
Typical drive times from the terminal
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Syntagma, Kolonaki and the Grande Bretagne | 40 to 55 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| Alimos Marina | 45 to 60 minutes | 60 to 85 minutes |
| Flisvos Marina, Palaio Faliro | 45 to 60 minutes | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Piraeus cruise and ferry port | 50 to 70 minutes | 70 to 100 minutes |
| Vouliagmeni and the Athenian Riviera | 40 to 55 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| Lavrio port | 30 to 40 minutes | 35 to 55 minutes |
| Cape Sounio | 50 to 65 minutes | 60 to 85 minutes |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The Attiki Odos is quick. The last stretch into the coastal suburbs and into Piraeus is where the time goes, and weekday evenings and summer Friday afternoons are the worst of it.
Worth knowing
Summer detail worth settling early
What an assistant planning a Greek July has to decide before anything is quoted.
- Ask for the General Aviation Terminal by name. It has its own entrance and its own parking, and it is not where a driver sent to the airport will go
- Ramp side collection is arranged with prior permission from the airport, in advance, not on the day
- For a yacht join, give us the marina, the berth or the agent, and the tender time
- Summer luggage is bulky. Diving kit, board bags and provisioning change the vehicle, and it is cheaper to say so at the enquiry than at the kerb
- Athens heat in July and August is a real planning factor for anyone travelling with children or older passengers. We keep the car cooled and standing, not circling
- Flying on to Mykonos or Santorini: tell us at the enquiry so the car is held rather than released
- If you are arranging the aircraft or the yacht as well, one enquiry covers all of it. See private jet charter and yacht charter
Request a quote
Tell us the movement
Date and time, tail number or operator, the handler if you know it, passengers, luggage and where you are going, marina and berth if it is a yacht join. We come back with a clear price. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About the Athens private terminal
Which handler will I be with?
Your operator chooses. They work from the same General Aviation Terminal, so the building is the same, but the lounge and the agent differ. We confirm both in writing before the day.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
Direct ramp access is arranged with prior permission from the airport, through your handler and in advance. Where it is not available the car waits at the terminal door.
How long do formalities take?
For a small party on the private side it is usually a short business. An intra Schengen arrival is quicker again. We have the car standing before the door opens rather than after.
Can you take us straight to the yacht?
Yes, and it is what we are usually asked for. Give us the marina and the berth or the agent, and we will work the road time back from the tender. See Alimos and Flisvos.
Are these your own cars?
Our own fleet and our own employed chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In Greece the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
We deal with problems before you know they exist