Demolition order for Elliniko buildings made official

A demolition order for about 450 buildings inside the mixed-use development of the former Athens airport at Elliniko was published in the government gazette on Wednesday, opening the way for work to begin at the site.

The decision will affect 958 “volumes” inside the plot of the former airport which include 450 buildings, facilities, supporting infrastructure and other types of construction.

The process started in April this year, with the Development Ministry legalising the buildings that had been raised on the site, regardless of whether they had a permit, to avoid the lengthy process followed for illegal constructions.

According to the ministry, no other approvals or legislation is required to start demolishing the buildings.

The 13 listed buildings in the park, including the former East Terminal building designed between 1960 and 1969 by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, are not affected by the decision.