The Pan-Hellenic Association ‘Environmental Harmony’ is calling for a protest rally against the expansion of ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ Airport on Sunday 25 October at 10.00, the Pan-Hellenic Association ‘Environmental Harmony’. The meeting point is the Seasabelle Hotel, which booking platforms list as being at 2 Artemida Avenue. The call is directed at local residents, associations and organisations.
In the announcement and invitation, as published by iRafina on Friday 16 October, the association complains that there has been no information provided by the relevant authorities and that decisions regarding the future of the area are being taken ‘behind tightly closed doors’. It claims that the expansion of the airport will result in flights every minute and a sharp increase in noise and pollution. This claim is not supported by any data or study in the press release.
There are two demands: full and transparent information regarding the planned projects, and strict implementation of international protection measures for residential areas. For further information and to get involved, the association can be contacted on 697 287 2148 and 693 872 2824.
What does the AIA programme entail?
Athens International Airport has an investment programme worth approximately 1.3 billion euros (at 2024 prices) currently underway, which will be implemented in stages from 2025 to 2032. The aim is for the airport to be able to handle 40 million passengers a year. The management has consolidated the first two phases of the original master plan, which in its previous form envisaged 50 million passengers by around 2045.
The main project is the extension of the existing terminal. Work is already underway on 32 new aircraft parking bays and a multi-storey car park with 3,500 spaces, due for completion in 2027, whilst a new VIP Terminal has also been commissioned. The programme details that have been made public do not mention a third runway.
By way of comparison, this year the airport is already handling more than 100,000 passengers a day, with 27.3 million in the first nine months, as we reported on 7 October.
Noise is already an issue
In August, a record month with 4.03 million passengers, the noise monitoring station recorded 1,495 incidents (the report). And as of 4 November, due to construction work, one runway is operating 24 hours a day. That is why we have written about how Artemida, a local resident, is complaining about the noise.
And the data centres on Monday
Ahead of the rally, on Monday 19 October at 7.00 pm, an event will be held at the ‘Christos Bekas’ Spata Cultural Centre on the topic ‘Data Centres: The Need for National and Local Planning’, with free admission. It is organised by the Environment and Energy Section of the Hellenic Police, with speakers including Professor Grammati Pantziou of the University of West Attica, the Department’s coordinator, Giorgos Vassiliadis, and Solomon journalist Danae Maragoudaki. It is the other major project in the vicinity of the airport: the 80 MW data centre in Spata which has also received a second preliminary approval, even though the Municipal Council had rejected it.
If AIA or the local council make a public statement before Sunday, we will report it.
Source: announcement and invitation from the Pan-Hellenic Association ‘Environmental Harmony’, as published in iRafina on 16 October 2026; details of the AIA investment programme as reported by SKAI and iefimerida.
