Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos has again been awarded for excellence and outstanding achievement, this time at the coveted Airports Council International (ACI) Europe Best Airports Awards.

The awards were announced during the 31st ACI Europe Congress General Assembly in Geneva on October 26. Organized to recognize excellence across the full range of airport services and activities, Athens Airport was announced winner of the “25-40 million passengers” category, drawing special praise for its response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, customer care, and sustainability goals.

“The busiest airport in Greece won the judges over by producing a plan for recovery that focuses on improving customer and passenger experience through the implementation of the Greek concept of philoxenia or hospitality,” ACI Europe said in an announcement.

The judges were especially impressed by the way in which Athens Airport has incorporated AI and virtual reality into its services, offering virtual assistant and 3D virtual airport tours to take the passenger experience to the next level.

Athens Airport remains fully committed to carbon management in spite of the ongoing health crisis, and is seeking to achieve Net Zero CO2 emissions by 2025 in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The airport’s efforts to increase its use of renewable energy was also singled out for praise by the judges.

Lisbon Airport was runner up in the same category, while iGA Istanbul Grand Airport won the “over 40 million passengers” category in recognition of its role among the continent’s hubs.

ACI Europe is the European region of Airports Council International, the worldwide professional association of airport operators. ACI Europe represents over 500 airports in 46 European countries.