How to improve the experience of dropping off and picking up travellers
The project for the improvement of the road traffic service at the accesses to Athens airport has now reached its completion and is put into operation on 7 June. The project has been designed with a view to ensuring the safety, orderly and environmentally and socially responsible use of road sections intended exclusively for short stops for the purpose of passenger disembarkation/embarkation at Arrivals and Departures.
In order to avoid congestion and illegal parking, the project was carried out to ensure the level of service for travellers and drivers and the good image that is appropriate for the main gateway to Athens and departure from the city and our country. The interventions are a significant and necessary improvement from this summer and take into account the airport’s capacity needs and passenger traffic growth, which is already exceeding 2019 levels.
Based on the traffic studies carried out for the functionality of the project, the international experience and practice and, of course, the complaints of the users for the particularly negative image of overcrowding and the dysfunction caused by illegally parked vehicles, the project of reconfiguration of the accesses was implemented so that everyone has the possibility of 10 minutes free stay to say goodbye or welcome their travellers in comfort and safety, as in most major European and international airports.
What changes: The airport now has a new configuration of entrances and exits on the road access sections of departures and arrivals – where the provisions of the Code of Conduct will of course apply – and which will be controlled by an automatic system of tilting bars, with a transit, stop and exit time of 10 minutes. Crossing will be easy and comfortable, with a very simple procedure that will regulate traffic and short stops in specially designed spaces, preventing illegal parking and prolonged stays for which the area is not intended. Exceeding the 10 minutes of free parking will result in a charge of €5 for the next 10 minutes, and after 20 minutes of free parking, there will be an additional charge of €1/minute.
Note that the aim of the project is not to charge and burden users – instead, the simple process aims to quickly adapt drivers to a more functional and fairer use of the spaces for all. Moreover, international experience shows us that addressing traffic issues with similar systems is a widespread and successful practice in most major European airports, which have achieved very high rates of driver compliance in a short period of time, resulting in the decongestion of vehicle transit areas. Good road behaviour and safety are the key components of the intervention logic and, in this context, any amounts that may result from driver non-compliance and time overruns will be allocated by the AIA for the design, support and implementation of “Panos Mylonas” Road Safety Institute.
Special provisions will apply for travellers with reduced mobility and increased needs, while the provision of free parking in Short Stay P1 & P2 spaces for 20 minutes will continue to apply to all users.
During the period of familiarisation and adaptation to this new practice and experience, which we are confident will improve the experience of drivers and travellers alike, the airport will be available to the public as always, both with guidance at the service points and through all AIA’s communication channels, which already provide all relevant and useful information.
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 airport social media platforms.
A first introduction to the new process:
https://youtu.be/RVTQkEpaDxo
About the project:
The project was announced and started last November and was carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 29 of Law 4903/22 (Government Gazette A’ 46/5.3.2022). As is the case for any project that evolves into a 24-hour airport, the interventions were implemented in stages to ensure the functionality of the accesses while the projects were underway.
