Abandoned airport being transformed into £7bn seaside city three times bigger than Monaco

Abandoned airport being transformed into £7bn seaside city three times bigger than MonacoEllinikon International Airport in Athens is being transformed into a massive coastal city with thousands of new homes, Greece's tallest building and luxury facilities opening as early as 2027CommentsNewsLiam McInerney Content Editor 05:00, 04 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesThe abandoned airport site is soon set to be transformed (Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)A long-abandoned airport that has sat eerily silent for much of the 21st century is set to be transformed into a thriving coastal city — with residents due to move into luxury new apartment blocks as early as next year.‌Ellinikon International Airport in the Greek capital of Athens once welcomed well over 10 million passengers annually before its closure in 2001, when the more modern Athens International Airport, situated just a few kilometres away, took over operations.‌Now, the derelict former airport is poised to be reborn as an entirely new city, courtesy of a £7.6billion scheme that has been dubbed the "biggest urban development project in Europe". A recently released video reveals how nine apartment blocks in a new district called Promenade Heights are already well on their way to completion. They are due to open on the vast site — roughly three times the size of Monaco — in 2027.‌A statement accompanying the video read: "At The Ellinikon, a new neighborhood is taking shape. Promenade Heights, with its nine circular and elliptical buildings create a new residential experience that blends contemporary architecture with everyday living.View 5 ImagesThe air traffic control tower stands at Ellinikon, the former international airport, in Athens, Gree(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)"The development is progressing steadily, gradually revealing a neighborhood designed for today, and for what's ahead."‌Following the video's posting on Instagram, one admiring commenter wrote: "The arch...