Athens International Airport also known as "Elefthérios Venizélos", (IATA: ATH, ICAO: LGAV), which began operation on 29th March 2001, is the only civilian airport that serves the city of Athens. The airport is the major hub and base for Olympic Airlines, Greece's state-owned airline, and also for Aegean Airlines and serves more than 15 million travellers annually. It was named after the Greek politician Eleftherios Venizelos. The airport is becoming increasingly popular as a gateway to Southeast and East Asia, with flights to Bangkok, Singapore, and Beijing, and is the largest European gateway airport to the Middle East due to its proximity to the region. It is known for its continual investment in pioneering technology. The airport is also A380 ready, having been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Athens International Airport is located between the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa, about 20 km east of Athens city centre (30 km by road, due to intervening hills). The airport is named after Elefthérios Venizélos, the Cretan politician and Prime Minister of Greece, who was prominent in the Cretan rising against the Ottoman occupation of Crete in 1896 and is considered as one of the most prominent politicians in modern Greece.

In 2007, the airport handled 16,538,645 passengers, 9.7% more than in 2006. In 2005 and 2006, the Airport was awarded the Skytrax award for best airport in Southern Europe.