Athens Airport (ATH)
Athens Airport (ATH) has two passenger buildings: the Main Terminal Building, with gates A1 to A27 and B1 to B31, and the Satellite Terminal Building, with gates C15 to C40, reached only through an underground link. Metro line 3 and the suburban railway serve the airport, and the airport asks passengers to arrive 2.5 hours before their flight.
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Updated 22 October 2026
The terminals at Athens Airport
Athens Airport (ATH) works from two passenger buildings. The Main Terminal Building holds gates A1 to A27 and gates B1 to B31, and the Satellite Terminal Building holds gates C15 to C40. The airport says the Satellite Terminal Building is reached only through the Main Terminal Building, by an underground link: at the corridor next to check-in counter 70, the signage for gates C15 to C40 points to the escalators or the lift that lead down to the link, and the satellite gates are about 15 minutes away on the moving walkways.
Its own tips for travellers say to allow an extra 15 minutes to reach a gate C, because those flights leave from the Satellite Terminal, and that the gate number appears on the screens 90 to 60 minutes before the flight.
Airlines at Athens Airport
The airport keeps its own directory of airline companies, with a page for each carrier, and the page of each one says which entrance of the Main Terminal Building its check-in counter is at: 33 of the 64 airlines use Entrance 1, 14 use Entrance 2 and 17 use Entrance 4, and the airport warns that the entrance may change for operational reasons.
The directory lists Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Arabia, Air Baltic, Air Cairo, Air Canada, Air China, Air Europa, Air France, Air Haifa, Air Serbia, Air Transat, American Airlines, Arkia Israeli, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Croatia Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Delta Air Lines, easyJet, EgyptAir, El Al Israel, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, Eurowings, Gulf Air, Iberia, ITA Airways, Jet2, Juneyao Airlines, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Middle East Airlines, Norse Atlantic, Norwegian Air, Olympic Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Scoot, Sichuan Airlines, Sky Express, SkyUp, Swiss Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM Romania, Transavia, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air.
Getting to and from Athens Airport
The airport's own page says access to Athens airport is feasible through several public means of transport: metro line 3, the blue line, to and from Dimotiko Theatro in Piraeus and the city centre of Athens, the suburban railway to and from Ano Liosia, Piraeus and the towns outside Attica, and four express bus lines, to Syntagma (X95), Piraeus (X96), the Kifissos and Liossion intercity bus stations (X93) and the Elliniko metro station (X97). The KTEL lines of Rafina and Markopoulo, the one with the connection to Lavrio, also serve the airport and start at the arrivals level, outside exit 5.
Taxis wait 24 hours a day at the designated taxi area at exit 3 of the arrivals level, and Uber riders have a pick-up point at the arrivals level, opposite exit 4. Six car rental companies work at the airport, with their desks at the arrivals level of the Main Terminal Building: Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, Sixt, Avance and Europcar.
Athens Airport with children
The airport's family facilities page says you find specially equipped baby rooms for feeding and changing a baby in the public and the passenger areas: on the departures all users area, opposite the WHSmith shop, on the arrivals passengers area in the intra and extra Schengen baggage reclaim hall, and at the Satellite Terminal Building. There are also baby changers in many toilets, marked with the baby care symbol, and specially designed toilets where a father or a mother can go in with the child.
The page for families says an official identity document is needed for every traveller, children included, and that the type depends on the child's nationality and the destination, so it asks you to start early. It also says to use online check-in when it is available, and otherwise to look for the family check-in if the airline has one, that baby food can travel in the hand luggage if you pack only what the flight needs, and that the unaccompanied minors service is for children from 4 to 12 years old and has to be booked with the airline.
Plan your stop at Athens Airport
Because the European Union's new Entry/Exit System has been fully deployed since 30 March 2026 for travellers from outside the Schengen area, the airport says the passport control can be significantly affected, with long waiting times, and asks passengers to arrive at least 2.5 hours before their scheduled departure, to have time for the check-in, the security screening and the passport control. It also warns that a late arrival at the gate can mean denied boarding, and that the airline check-in counters open 2 to 3 hours before the scheduled departure.
Keep your passport and any form you filled in on the plane with you from the aircraft door to the exit, and ask the embassy or the consulate of every country on your route which documents your family needs to enter it.
Sources
- Official page of Athens International Airport on the general instructions: it says gates A1 to A27 and gates B1 to B31 are in the Main Terminal Building and gates C15 to C40 in the Satellite Terminal Building, that the satellite building is reached only through the Main Terminal Building via an underground link, that the escalators or the lift are at the corridor next to check-in counter 70, and that the satellite gates are about 15 minutes away on the moving walkways. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official directory of Athens International Airport with a page for each airline company that works at the airport, from Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Arabia, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, American Airlines and British Airways to Qatar Airways, Ryanair, Scandinavian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Vueling and Wizz Air. The directory holds 64 carriers, and the page of each one says which entrance of the Main Terminal Building its check-in counter is at. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport S.A. on the company: it says the airport was established in 1996 under the form of a société anonyme, as a pioneer public-private partnership with the concession agreement, the Airport Development Agreement, ratified by Law 2338/95. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport on the public transport: metro line 3, the blue line, between the airport and the city centre of Athens and Piraeus, the suburban railway to Ano Liosia, Piraeus and the destinations outside Attica, the four express bus lines X95, X96, X93 and X97, and the KTEL lines of Rafina and Markopoulo, which start at the arrivals level outside exit 5. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport on the transport: metro line 3, the blue line, to and from Dimotiko Theatro in Piraeus and the city centre of Athens, the suburban railway, the four OASA bus lines and the two KTEL lines, the taxis at exit 3 of the arrivals level and the six car rental companies at the arrivals level of the Main Terminal Building. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport on the family facilities: the specially equipped baby rooms for feeding and changing a baby in the departures all users area, the arrivals passengers area and the Satellite Terminal Building, the baby changers in the toilets marked with the baby care symbol, and the specially designed family toilets. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport on travelling with children: the identity document every traveller needs, children included, the family check-in, the baby food in the hand luggage and the unaccompanied minors service for children from 4 to 12 years old. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport on check-in: since the European Union's new Entry/Exit System has been fully deployed for third-country nationals on 30 March 2026, the airport says the passport control can be significantly affected and asks passengers to arrive at least 2.5 hours before their scheduled departure, for the check-in, the security screening and the passport control, and warns that a late arrival at the gate can mean denied boarding. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
- Official page of Athens International Airport with its ten tips for the trip: the airline check-in counters open 2 to 3 hours before the scheduled departure, the extra 15 minutes to reach a gate C in the Satellite Terminal, the gate number on the screens 90 to 60 minutes before the flight and the signs outside each entrance that name the airlines. — aia.gr (checked 22 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How many terminals does Athens Airport have?
Two passenger buildings: the Main Terminal Building, with gates A1 to A27 and B1 to B31, and the Satellite Terminal Building, with gates C15 to C40, which is reached only through an underground link from the Main Terminal Building.
Which airlines fly from Athens Airport?
The airport keeps its own directory of airline companies, with a page for each one: Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Arabia, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, easyJet, Emirates, Etihad, Iberia, ITA Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Olympic Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qatar Airways, Ryanair, Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, Transavia, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air, among the others.
How do I get from Athens Airport to the city?
By metro: line 3, the blue line, to and from Dimotiko Theatro in Piraeus and the city centre of Athens. The suburban railway and four OASA bus lines also serve the airport, and the taxis wait at exit 3 of the arrivals level.
What does Athens Airport offer for children?
Specially equipped baby rooms for feeding and changing, in the departures area, the arrivals area and the Satellite Terminal Building, baby changers in many toilets, and family toilets where a father or a mother can go in with the child. The unaccompanied minors service is for children aged 4 to 12 and is booked with the airline.
How early should I arrive at Athens Airport?
At least 2.5 hours before your scheduled departure, the airport asks, because the new Entry/Exit System can slow the passport control down. The airline check-in counters open 2 to 3 hours before the departure, and arriving late at the gate can mean denied boarding.