Elefsis
Air Base
A Hellenic Air Force transport base west of Athens with an 8,983 foot runway and no civil access whatsoever. It looks like an option in raw data. It is not one, and this page exists to say so plainly.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Elefsis at a glance
Elefsis, also spelled Elefsina, carries the ICAO code LGEL and has no IATA code. An 8,983 foot runway at about 144 feet elevation, west of Athens, home to the Hellenic Air Force’s Military Air Transport Command.
It is closed to all civilian aviation. There is no prior permission process to apply through.
Be Careful
No civil access at all
Elefsis is a Hellenic Air Force base and the home of the Air Force’s transport wing. It is closed to all civilian aviation. Unlike RAF Northolt or Al Bateen, which are military fields with a formal civil process, Elefsis has none.
It appears in airport data with a long runway and can look like an option on paper. A quote that includes Elefsis is a quote for something that will not fly. The alternative for any jet arriving in the Athens area is Athens International, without exception.
Correction
Our old page confused the runway with the elevation
Our previous guide gave the elevation as 8,983 feet. That is the runway length. The field elevation is around 144 feet. Corrected here and in our data.
It is a small example of a large point: every figure on these pages is now checked against a source rather than carried across from the previous version.
History
A transport base since the 1930s
The airfield dates to the 1930s and has been a Hellenic Air Force base since, becoming the home of the Air Force’s transport wing.
It has played a role in Greek military and humanitarian airlift for decades and remains a purely military installation. Exceptional state movements are coordinated at government level and are not something a charter operator can arrange.
Nearby
Elefsis and the Greek fields
Greece is an Athens operation with islands attached. Elefsis is not part of it.
LGAVAthens InternationalLGMKMykonosLGSRSantoriniLGSKSkiathosLGZAZakynthosLGKLKalamata
Athens for any jet. Megara, a short distance west, has a civil apron for light aircraft and helicopters. Tatoi is the other military field near the capital, open only to based aeroclubs. Kalamata for the Peloponnese, and the islands for themselves.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Elefsis, answered
Can private jets land at Elefsis?
No. Elefsis is a Hellenic Air Force base, home to Military Air Transport Command, and it is closed to all civilian aviation. It is not a prior permission field where an application might succeed; civil access does not exist. It is on this list because it appears in airport data with an 8,983 foot runway and looks, on paper, like an option. It is not.
Why does your old page give the elevation as 8,983 feet?
Because it confused the runway length with the elevation. The runway is about 8,983 feet; the field elevation is around 144 feet. It was a clear error and it has been corrected here and in our data. It is also a reminder of why every figure on these pages is now checked against a source rather than carried across.
What is Elefsis used for?
Military air transport. It is the base for the Hellenic Air Force's transport aircraft and for the Air Force's operational and humanitarian airlift, and it hosts military exercises and state movements. None of that is available to civil operators.
Is there any way to use Elefsis for a private flight?
No. Unlike Northolt in London or Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi, which are military fields with formal civil access, Elefsis has none. A quote that includes Elefsis is a quote for something that will not fly.
How long is the runway at Elefsis?
About 8,983 feet, in asphalt, at roughly 144 feet elevation. The runway is long enough for anything, which is precisely why it looks tempting in raw data and why the status matters more than the numbers.
What is the alternative to Elefsis?
Athens International, without exception, for any jet arriving in the Athens area. Megara, a short distance to the west, has a civil general aviation apron for light aircraft and helicopters only.
Is Elefsis the same as Elefsina?
Yes. Elefsis is the older transliteration; Elefsina is the modern one, and the town and the air base appear under both spellings. The ICAO code LGEL is unchanged.
Does Elefsis ever open to civil traffic?
Not to visiting private aircraft. Exceptional state or humanitarian movements are coordinated at government level and are not something a charter operator can arrange.
Do you need a permit to fly a private jet into Greece?
No separate landing permit for EU and most third-country private and charter operations at civil airports. That question is irrelevant at Elefsis because civil access does not exist.
What is the history of Elefsis air base?
The airfield dates to the 1930s and has been a Hellenic Air Force base since, becoming the home of the Air Force's transport wing. It has played a role in Greek military and humanitarian airlift for decades and remains a purely military installation.
What time zone is Greece in?
Eastern European Time, EET in winter and EEST in summer, which is UTC+2 and UTC+3 respectively.
Get Your Number
Flying privately to Athens?
We will not quote a flight into Elefsis, because civil access does not exist. Tell us where in Attica you need to be and we plan it through Athens International, with a helicopter onward if the destination is west of the city.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.