We fly to the airport of Thessaloniki: the scheme, the amenities, the road to the city

In the city of Thessaloniki (Greece) the airport is the second in the country in terms of congestion. He is second only to the Athenian hub. Annually the airport in Thessaloniki serves up to four million passengers. However, these air gates of Northern Greece are not impressive in scale. Everything here is cozy, home-like. The small size of a single terminal makes it easy to find the right registration desk. But the airport is constantly being built, improving, expanding. The last major reconstruction took place in 2006. It is known that Greece is a country of summer holidays. Therefore, at the time of holidays the airport is overloaded due to numerous charter flights. From this article you will find out what awaits you when you arrive at the Macedonian hub, how to get from it to Thessaloniki and how to spend time with it in good time, while waiting for your flight.

Short story

In 1930, an airfield was opened on this site. It was a simple airfield, without any infrastructure or even buildings. During the Second World War it was used for military aviation purposes. In 1965, the runways were reconstructed in such a way that civilian liners could land. A terminal was built. The Thessaloniki Hub began to be called Thessaloniki Airport Mikra (by the name of the village near which it is located). This name he kept until 1993. Now the hub is called the airport of Macedonia (Thessaloniki is the capital of this Greek province). Now the construction of a second terminal and a new runway leaving the sea is underway. After the reconstruction, the hub will be able to receive up to nine million travelers a year.

Where is the airport

Thessaloniki is a large city. Here is the second most important seaport of Greece. However, despite the large size, the airport has only one city. It is located thirteen kilometers to the south-east of the center, in a remote suburb of Kalamari. Many of our compatriots regard the airport of Thessaloniki as a staging post. From here it is convenient to fly to the Greek islands - Crete, Corfu, Rhodes. From Moscow to Thessaloniki flights are regularly sent from Vnukovo and Domodedovo. Kiev airport Borispol with northern Greece connects the carrier Aerosvit. During the summer months charter flights depart for thessaloniki from major Russian and European cities. The duration of the flight from Moscow to this Greek city is three hours and 20 minutes.

How to get to the city and to the airport

The cheapest way to overcome fifteen kilometers dividing the city and the hub will be by bus. Route No. 78 runs around the clock, no matter what the taxi drivers tell you. The bus stop is located directly at the exit from the airport. From five in the morning until ten in the evening bus No. 78 is running, and from 23.30 on the route there is a night flight No. 78N. The interval between the machines is half an hour. The ticket price, which is purchased from the driver, is 0.45 Euro. The way to the final stop - the new railway station - will take about forty-five minutes. A taxi ride will be shorter, more convenient, but also more expensive. The cost varies depending on the distance. On average, count on ten Euro. However, in the opposite direction (from the city to the airport of Thessaloniki) a trip can be twice as expensive.

Passenger and luggage clearance regulations

In principle, they differ little from the standards adopted in other hubs. Registration for the flight of passengers traveling within the country, begins in two hours. Those who fly out of Greece, can approach the racks for 2.5 hours. Registration for all passengers is completed forty minutes before the departure of the flight. If you have a "paper" ticket, you need to show it and your passport. In the event that you bought a seat on the plane via the Internet, one document would be enough. But the airport of Thessaloniki has its own, somewhat strange rules. The travelers will be surprised, but at the check-in they will only weigh your luggage. After that, passengers with their suitcases should go to the rack number 21. After another turn you will have your baggage processed and you can go to the passport control or to the gate.

Thessaloniki airport scheme

Despite the periodic congestion of the hub, everything here works like a clock. If you flew to Thessaloniki and want to go to the islands or other Greek cities by air, you will find offices of companies from the Olympic, Aegean, Austrian airlines and other carriers (including German TUIfly). There are several baggage packing points in the passenger terminal building. Thessaloniki Airport has convenient waiting rooms, including for vip-clients and mothers with children. You can have a snack in coffee shops, which are located both in the departure hall and in the arrival hall. After passing the passport control, passengers can look in two duty-free shops. The entire infrastructure of the airport is adapted to the needs of disabled people. The storage room is open 24 hours. There are branches of several banks, exchange of currencies. If you have any questions, you can get an exhaustive answer in the help desk.