For travelers searching for airfares to Greece, understanding the International Air Transport Association (IATA) airport codes—those three-letter city abbreviations seen on luggage tags—is essential. Knowing these codes can help avoid mistakenly booking a flight to Athens, Georgia, instead of Athens, Greece. IATA airport codes serve as important identifiers for airports worldwide.
Finding Your Right Airport
Airports in Greece typically have at least two “official” names. The primary name is generally the place name followed by “Airport” or “International Airport.” However, the second name can be more complex. This secondary name often honors a notable local historical or mythological figure. Consequently, some airports may have similar names, such as two Odysseas Airports or two that start with “Ioannis.” In some instances, these names appear in both Greek and English. Thus, it is crucial to verify the correct airport that corresponds to your intended destination before finalizing travel plans.
Moreover, many codes for smaller airports can be quite similar and may not clearly relate to the town or island name. For instance, confusing JSI with JSY could land you on the incorrect island entirely.
Greece Airport Codes
Being aware of these codes will guide you to the correct location for your excursion in Greece.
Athens: ATH
- Athens International Airport is also known as Eleftherios Venizelos or Spata, Spada.
- Athens may also be referred to as Athina.
Chania: CHQ
- Chania can also be spelled Hania, Xania, or Khania.
- This airport is also called Ioannis Daskalogiannis. It is not to be confused with Ioannis Kapodistrias located at Corfu.
Corfu Island: CFU
- Corfu Airport is also known as Ioannis Kapodistrias. Do not confuse it with Ioannis Daskalogiannis at Chania.
Heraklion: HER
- Heraklion Airport is also called Nikos Kazantzakis.
- Heraklion may also be spelled as Iraklion or Iraklio.
Ioannina: IOA
- This airport is also referred to as King Pyrrhus.
Kalamata: KLX
- Kalamata Airport is also known as Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos.
Kavala/Chrysoupoli: KVA
- This airport is also called Mega Alexandros or Alexander the Great.
Kefalonia Island: EFL
- Kefalonia Airport is also known as Odysseus, Ulysses, or Anna Pollatou.
Kos Island: KGS
- Kos Airport is also called Ippokratis or Hippocrates.
Lemnos Island: LXS
- Lemnos Airport is also referred to as Hephaestus or Ifestos.
Milos Island: MLO
- Milos Airport is also known as Afrodite or Aphrodite.
Mykonos Island: JMK
- Mykonos Airport is also referred to as Delos or Dilos.
Mytilene (Lesbos) Island: MJT
- Mytilene is also known as Odysseas Elitis.
Naxos Island: JNX
- Naxos Airport is also referred to as Apollon.
Paros Island: PAS
- Paros Airport is also called Artemis or Panteleou Paros Airport.
Preveza/Aktio: PVK
- This airport can also be known as Aktion and Lefkada.
Rhodes Island: RHO
- Rhodes Airport is commonly referred to as Diagoras.
Samos Island: SMI
- Samos Airport is known as Aristarchus of Samos.
Santorini Island: JTR
- Santorini Airport is also called Zefiros.
Skiathos Island: JSI
- Skiathos Airport is also referred to as Alexandros Papadiamantis.
Skyros Island: SKU
- Skyros Airport is sometimes called Aegean.
Syros Island: JSY
- Syros Airport is known as Demetrius Vikelas.
Thessaloniki: SKG
- Thessaloniki Airport is also known as Macedonia.
Volos: VOL
- Volos Airport is also called Nea Anchialos or Volos Central.
Zakynthos Island: ZTH
- Zakynthos Airport is commonly referred to as Dionisios Solomos.
