Inside creepy abandoned airport left to slowly rot since 2008 financial crash
A derelict airport which was slowly left to rot after a financial crash is set reopen to tourists as a transformed multi-use complex.
Hellinikon, located 4.3 miles south of Athens, is being dusted off by investors who plan to turn the building into a coastal resort with entertainment, malls, hotels and more.
The building, once known as the capital's main airport, was initially built in the 1930s and used as a station for the Luftwaffe throughout the Nazi occupation of Greece.
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It was the only international airport in Athens for decades and was often attacked by the allied air forces during the Second World War.
Hellinikon became the city's top airport for commercial travel by the 1950s and was redeveloped, reports The Sun.
Unfortunately, it was shut down in 2001 after it struggled to cope with the crippling travel demands in Greece.
The airport was set for an annual 10 million passenger capacity, but ended up supporting 13million people in its last year of service.
Inside abandoned airport with Nazi and Cold War relics now used for roller discos
A huge section of the site was transformed into a stadium complex which hosted numerous sporting events at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Additional development sparked a split in opinion between those in charge. The economic crash put plans up in the air in 2008.
The breathtaking space still has parked planes from former airline Olympic Airways left dumped along a disused runway.
In 2014, the site was brought by a consortium of investors who launched work to turn it into a massive resort with a casino.
But the plans were put to a halt due to several hurdles and the space was used to shelter refugees during the European migrant crisis.
In a more recent turn of events, work to finalise the transformation started back up in 2020.
The Greek has announced the completion date to be 2025.
The site is surrounded by beaches and a golf club, which makes it the perfect hub to develop for tourists.
Some of the remaining buildings such as the east terminal are listed and prevented from demolition.
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