Hellenikon Air Base
Hellenikon Air Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base located in Athens, Greece. After its closure, it was redeveloped into Ellinikon International Airport. History The airport was built in 1938, and after the German invasion of Greece in 1941, Kalamaki Airfield was used as a Luftwaffe air base during the occupation. Following the end of World War II, the Greek government allowed the United States to use the airport from 1945 until 1993. Known as Hassani Airport in 1945, it was used by the United States Army Air Forces as early as 1 October 1945, as a base of operations for Air Transport Command flights between Rome, Italy and points in the Middle East. A semi-permanent USAAF presence was established in May 1947 as the facility was being reconstructed to facilitate Marshall Plan aid to Greece and Turkey. On 5 October 1948, the United States Air Force assigned the Military Air Transport Service 1632d Air Base Squadron to the airport with ten C-47 Skytrain cargo aircraft being based at the airport. A new control tower opened in 1951, and by 1954 with the end of Marshall Plan, the United States Air Forces in Europe 7206th Air Base Squadron