Preveza Airport (PVK): the complete passenger guide to Aktion National Airport

PVK at a glance

Aktion National Airport sits on the Aktion peninsula, on the western side of the Ambracian Gulf, directly across the strait from Preveza town and connected to it by the Aktio–Preveza undersea road tunnel. Lefkada is a further short drive south across a causeway. The airport is a dual-use facility — a civilian terminal alongside a Hellenic Air Force base that also sees NATO activity, which is common at several of Greece's regional airports.

It's a genuinely small airport by international standards, built for a short, intense summer season rather than year-round volume. Recent published figures put annual traffic at somewhere around 850,000–900,000 passengers, the large majority of it concentrated between May and October.

• IATA code: PVK · ICAO code: LGPZ
• Official name: Aktion National Airport (also written Aktio or Action; commonly called Preveza Airport)
• One asphalt runway, roughly 2,870m long
• Single passenger terminal, expanded in recent years to handle growing charter traffic
• Operated under a long-term concession by a Fraport Greece / Copelouzos Group joint venture, alongside several other regional Greek airports
• Overwhelmingly seasonal: quiet outside roughly May–October

A military airbase that became a holiday gateway

Aktion opened in 1968 as a Hellenic Air Force base, and military and NATO-linked activity still shares the airfield with civilian flights today — it's worth knowing this if you notice military aircraft on the apron, since it's completely normal here. Civilian charter traffic grew alongside Greek tourism to Lefkada and the Ionian coast over the following decades, though we couldn't pin down a single, precise date for when scheduled civilian services began; treat any specific year you see quoted elsewhere with some caution.

The clearer turning point is 2015, when the Greek government finalised the privatisation of 14 regional airports, including Aktion, awarding a 40-year concession to a joint venture between Fraport AG and the Greek Copelouzos Group. Operations transferred to the consortium around autumn 2016, and the investment that followed included a larger, modernised terminal building, reported by several travel-industry sources as opening around 2021 to cope with rising passenger numbers. That single terminal is what you'll pass through today.

Airlines and routes: what to expect (and why we won't give you a fixed list)

PVK is a seasonal charter and budget-airline airport, and that network is rebuilt every year — airlines add and drop routes, change frequencies, and shift which airports they fly from depending on demand. Any specific route list we published here would likely be out of date within a season, so we're deliberately not giving you one to rely on for booking.

What we can say with confidence: PVK has, in recent years, been served by a mix of European leisure and low-cost carriers connecting it with the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and other Western European markets, roughly from spring through autumn. Airlines that have been reported operating seasonal PVK routes in recent years include names like easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, Condor, Eurowings and others — take this as an indicative sense of the kind of airline you'll find here, not a current schedule.

Always check your own airline's live route map and the airport's official site directly before booking, and again closer to your travel date — seasonal schedules can start, end or change with little notice.

• Expect charter and low-cost carriers rather than legacy full-service airlines on most routes
• The season runs roughly May to October, with a handful of routes sometimes extending into the shoulder months
• Winter service is minimal to non-existent on most years — this is not a reliable year-round airport for European connections
• Route networks shift annually — don't rely on last year's flight list, or on this article, to confirm what's flying this year

What the terminal is actually like

PVK has a single passenger terminal building, expanded and modernised in recent years as charter traffic grew — travel-industry sources describe a building of over 10,000 square metres, a meaningful upgrade from the older facility it replaced, with more check-in counters and improved baggage handling.

Even so, it's a small, single-level airport by the standards of major European hubs. We found no evidence of jet bridges at PVK, and airports of this size and traffic profile in Greece typically board and disembark passengers via air stairs directly onto the apron — plan to walk a short distance across the tarmac in both directions, in whatever weather is on offer that day.

Facilities are basic rather than extensive: a small number of gates, limited food and retail options, and standard security screening. During the peak of summer, when several charter flights can land in a tight window, check-in and security queues can build up quickly — arrive with the standard buffer for a charter flight (see below) rather than cutting it close.

Arrivals and departures: practical notes

Arrivals is compact: baggage reclaim is a short walk from the aircraft, and there's no rail or shuttle system to navigate — you're generally out into the arrivals hall quickly once bags are on the belt, delays aside.

For departures, the general advice for a charter or leisure airport like this applies: arrive around 2 to 2.5 hours before your flight in peak season, particularly if your airline's check-in desks aren't yet open when you arrive, and check your specific airline's own guidance since charter operators sometimes ask for more.

• Food and drink options inside the terminal are limited — eating beforehand or bringing something for a short wait is sensible
• There's no dedicated fast-track or lounge infrastructure comparable to major hub airports, as far as we could establish
• Signage and announcements are in Greek and English
• Outside peak season, expect a genuinely quiet terminal with far fewer flights and shorter queues

Getting into town: taxi, bus and rental car

This is the honest picture: PVK is a small regional airport, and public transport options are limited compared with a major city airport. Most passengers use a taxi or a rental car; the public bus exists but runs infrequently and shouldn't be your only plan if timing matters.

For exact drive times and distances by campervan from PVK to Preveza, Lefkada, Parga and other Ionian destinations, see the distance table in our Aktion Airport camper pickup guide rather than us repeating it here — the same airport, the same numbers.

Renting a car generally (not just a campervan)

If you're not renting a campervan, PVK still has you covered: car rental desks sit in or near the arrivals hall, operated by a mix of international chains and smaller local operators, offering everything from small economy cars to SUVs. As with most Greek airports, it's worth booking ahead for the peak summer season rather than expecting to walk up and find your first choice available.

Bring a valid EU or international driving licence, and remember that driving in Greece is on the right. If your route takes you across the Aktio–Preveza undersea tunnel toward Preveza, note that it's a toll tunnel — a few euros for a standard car, more for larger vehicles — payable by cash, card or electronic transponder at the toll station.

Picking up a campervan instead

If you're renting one of our hand-built campervans, the process is simpler than a standard car rental: we meet you directly at PVK with your van ready to go, no shuttle to an off-site depot required.

Practical tips

• Book car and campervan rentals well in advance for the July–August peak — demand at a small, seasonal airport like this outstrips supply fast.
• The airport is small enough that you don't need the very long buffers a major hub might require, but do allow for check-in and security queues during the busiest summer weeks.
• Outside the roughly May–October season, don't assume your route will be flying — check current schedules directly with your airline before booking anything for winter travel.
• If picking up a hire car or campervan, confirm your route into Preveza or Lefkada in advance — the Aktio–Preveza tunnel carries a small toll, higher for larger vehicles.
• Cash is still useful for the KTEL bus (paid to the driver) and for smaller local services; card acceptance is otherwise standard at the airport itself.
• If you're continuing on to Preveza town or Lefkada, our dedicated guides to Preveza and getting to Lefkada cover the onward trip in more detail than we do here.

Keep planning your trip

• Camper pickup at Aktion Airport: how it works and drive times to the coast
• Skip Athens: why PVK is the smarter start for a Greek campervan trip
• How to get to Lefkada: every route compared
• Preveza town: a practical guide
• Browse our campervan fleet