The Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) is in the 145th position globally, according to an annual study ranking the best and worst airports globally by Air Help, a company specializing in passenger support during flight disruptions.
The overall rating for the Greek airport is 7.14, while passenger opinions, a key criterion, scored 7.9. The highest-rated European airport, Bilbao in Spain, scored 8.1. It is worth noting that the Athens Airport is above Heathrow Airport in London (ranked 163), and Charles de Gaulle in Paris (ranked 173).
The Athens Airport performed less impressively in wait time statistics, with a score of 6.6 compared to Bilbao’s 8.1. However, in the evaluation of shops and restaurants, “Eleftherios Venizelos” received a higher rating of 8 compared to Bilbao’s 7.7.
It’s worth noting that passenger traffic at Athens Airport is on an upward trajectory, recording 3 million passengers in September 2023, a 16.3% increase from 2022 levels and an 11.8% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019 figures.
The study, which evaluates over 4,000 airports worldwide, assesses performance based on factors such as on-time arrivals, passenger feedback on airport navigation, dining options, and shopping choices.
The analysis, covering data collected from January 1 to September 30, incorporates responses from 15,800 passengers. According to the findings, Muscat International Airport in Oman claims the top spot as the world’s best airport. Following closely are Recife-Guararapes International Airport in Brazil and Cape Town International Airport in South Africa, securing the second and third positions, respectively.
European airports had a modest representation, with only nine making it to the top 50 of the best airport experiences globally, according to AirHelp. Bilbao Airport in northern Spain claimed the top spot in Europe.
The report suggests a noteworthy trend: Major metropolitan hubs do not necessarily correlate with exceptional airports, challenging conventional expectations.
