It will be put into operation from June 7 the automatic tilting bar system on the road access sections of its departures and arrivals Athens International Airport, in order to avoid congestion due to vehicle parking. Therefore, the stay of vehicles for the purpose of disembarking/boarding passengers, at Arrivals and Departures will be free every 10 minutes. According to his statement airport “El. Venizelos”the project in question has now reached its completion, it was designed with a view to the safety, orderly and environmentally and socially responsible use of the road sections intended exclusively for a short stop of vehicles for the purpose of disembarking/boarding passengers, at Arrivals and Departures .

“With the aim of avoiding congestion and illegal parking, the project was carried out to ensure the level of service for travelers and drivers and the good image befitting the main gateway to Athens and departure from our city and country. The interventions are an important and imperative improvement from this summer and take into account the capacity needs and the increase in the airport’s passenger traffic, which already exceeds the levels of 2019,” the AIA statement points out.

What is changing at “EL. Venizelos”

The airport now has a new configuration of entrances and exits in the road access sections of departures and arrivals – where of course the provisions of the Code of Conduct will apply – and which will be controlled by an automatic system of tilting bars, with transit time, stop and exit, every 10 minutes. Crossing will be easy and comfortable, with a very simple process that will regulate traffic and stop for a few minutes in specially designed spaces, preventing illegal parking and prolonged stays for which the space is not intended. Exceeding the 10-minute free stay of vehicles will result in a charge of 5 euros for the next 10 minutes, while after the 20-minute stay in the area, there will be an additional charge of 1 euro.

The goal of the project, as the AIA states, is not to charge and burden users – instead, the simple process aims to quickly adapt drivers to a more functional and fair use of the spaces for all.

“After all, international experience shows us that dealing with traffic issues with similar systems is a widespread and successful practice in most major European airports, which achieved very high driver compliance rates in a short period of time, resulting in the decongestion of vehicle transit areas. Correct driving behavior and safety are the main components of the logic of the interventions and, in this context, sums that may come from non-compliance of drivers and exceeding the time, will be allocated by the AIA for planning, support and implementation of programs of the Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas”.

Finally, special provisions will apply to travelers with reduced mobility and increased needs, while the provision of free parking in Short Term P1 & P2 areas for 20 minutes will continue to apply to all users.

Full information on “what is changing” and “why” is available on the AIA website https://www.aia.gr/el/traveler/access-and-transportation/pickup-dropoff/ as well as on all social media platforms airport networking.

A first introduction to the new process: