 Commercial airline service returned to the facility in 1956 with the airport being turned over to Greek civil aviation authorities.The airport was renamed Athenai International Airport, and the USAF used a small part of the airport for military cargo use, along with United States diplomatic air traffic.The 7206th Air Base Group remained the primary USAF unit at the airport with the 6916th Security Squadron providing electronic aerial surveillance of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East).