The fastest, and consequently the most convenient, way to travel to and around Greece is by airplane, an appealing alternative mostly for vacationers who are pressing for time and prefer to travel without a vehicle.

National air carrier Olympic Airways and its commuter subsidiary Olympic Aviation provide the bulk of the air transportation services in Greece with regular flights to and from 34 domestic airports in mainland Greece and the islands, as well as to and from all major US, European, Australian, Far Eastern, Middle Eastern Asian and North African cities.

Several Greek private airlines have recently entered the market offering regular flights to major Greek and European destinations. There are also 48 international carriers operating in Greece providing mostly international connections. A few of the domestic destinations are also served directly by foreign airlines, with charter or regular flights. Inexpensive charter flights are mostly available from London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris to Athens, Thessaloniki and the islands.

Greece has an extensive domestic network of 78 airports, 39 of which are international. The country's most significant airports are located in Athens, Alexandroupolis, Kastoria and Thessaloniki in northern Greece, Heraklion on the island of Crete, and Rhodes. Taxis are available at stands outside the arrival halls at all airports.

To meet an increasing air transportation demand, the new state-of-the-art Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" opened on March 1, 2001. The new airport is designed with an initial capacity of 16 million passengers per year and twin runways allowing simultaneous departure and arrivals. The quality of services it provides goes beyond those at "average airports". Featuring the biggest installed broadband network in Greece, the Information Technology & Teleconnumications (IT&T) infrastructure of the airport ensures economies of scale, low operational costs and flexibility to enterprises and state authorities providing services at the airport. Full range of bank services (deposit-withdrawals, credit cards, exchange etc.) are available, as well as a full range of postal services, shops, restaurants, fully equipped booths with PCs, internet access and a complete package of supporting services for conferences and training seminars at the AIA's specially arranged and comfortable Conference Rooms, equipped with the latest amenities.

There is a wide range of services and facilities available, making moments at the airport a pleasant experience, not only for travellers, but also for meeters and greeters, and the airport's visitors. Passengers are ferried on specifically designated air-conditioned busses with a 24-hour connection between the airport and central Athens Syntagma Square, as well as the port of Piraeus and Glyfada, the southern Athens coastal suburb. For ground access, a six-lane access road and a peripheral motorway are serving the airport, while a suburban railway link connects it to downtown Athens.

The Greek government has launched a program of significant upgrades in major Greek airports to accommodate bigger airplanes and receive more direct flights from abroad.