A European city is giving its airport a major £540 million revamp.

Athens Airport was first opened in 2001 and remains Greece’s biggest airport. However, to meet demand, it is now looking to increase its passenger capacity from 26 million to 40 million a year.

Plans for the expansion were designed by a group of architecture firms, including Grimshaw, which was behind the YTL Arena in Bristol, the Eden Project and projects at Waterloo and Euston stations.

The plans, also designed by Haptic and K-Studio, will extend and alter the main terminal building and overhaul a satellite terminal building.

They show the airport’s huge halls will have covered gardens, lounges, and shops. A dedicated Schengen Area facility will also be available to process passengers faster.

The project is expected to cost around £540 million and be completed by 2032. The airport hopes to accommodate 33 million passengers a year by 2028 and 40 million by 2032.

This comes after the Athens Riviera was named a popular destination for 2025 by Forbes.

They wrote: “Travel has been booming among the Greek Islands, where crowds flock to both the well-known (Santorini and Mykonos) and lesser-known (Naxos and Ios) spots. The next big Greek beach haven lies just 10 miles south of Athens.”

The coastline will undergo a £10 billion project to transform it into a “mini Dubai” with resorts, skyscrapers, outdoor attractions, and shopping centres.

And Athens isn’t the only Greek airport getting a revamp – Paros is adding a new £34 million terminal to open it up to more passengers and international flights.

Crete is also getting a new airport, Kastelli International Airport, which will open in 2027, to replace the current Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport.