Greek airports launched 2026 on a strong note, reporting increased passenger traffic across domestic and international routes and creating positive expectations for the summer season.
The previous year, 2025, set a record for Greek airports, handling 83.33 million passengers, up 4.9% from 2024. Aircraft movements, including arrivals and departures, reached 629,633 flights, marking a 4.1% increase compared with 2024.
In January 2026, all 39 Greek airports—including Athens International Airport, 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece, and 24 managed by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (YPA)—recorded passenger growth, reinforcing Greece’s position as a leading global tourism destination.
Athens International Airport (AIA) Performance
Athens International Airport opened 2026 with a strong performance. Passenger numbers reached 1.99 million in January, up 8.6% compared with the same month in 2025. Domestic traffic rose 7.1%, while international travel increased 9.2%.
The airport recorded 17,748 flights in January, a 7.3% rise from 2025. Domestic and international flights grew by 7.6% and 7.1%, respectively.
New airline entries and route expansions marked the start of the year. IndiGo and Aegean Airlines launched direct flights connecting Athens with New Delhi and Mumbai, establishing a historic link to India. Other new airlines at AIA include AnimaWings, TAP Air Portugal, and Korean Air.
The North American market also expanded, with American Airlines launching a direct route to Dallas on 21 May, marking its fifth US destination from Athens. Air Canada extended its season with early flights from Montreal and Toronto starting 6 March, while Delta and United resumed services to Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago earlier than usual. Korean Air plans charter flights between Seoul and Athens from April.
European connections expanded with WizzAir adding Gdańsk from May, airBaltic launching Tallinn flights in April, AnimaWings offering Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara connections from March, and TAP Air Portugal resuming Lisbon flights from July.
Aegean Airlines will operate an extensive network across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, offering 22.5 million seats in 2026. Strategic expansions target the Middle East, Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Belgium, Czechia, Spain, Albania, Hungary, and Slovenia. Sky Express will launch six new routes, while Ryanair and Wizz Air add connections to Warsaw, Venice, and Craiova. Athens will also reconnect with Libya via Benghazi and Tripoli.
Fraport Greece Airports
Fraport Greece’s 14 regional airports—including Thessaloniki, Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Chania, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, and Kos—welcomed 718,000 passengers in January, an 8.1% increase from 2025. Domestic passengers rose 10.4% to 441,786, representing 62% of total traffic. International travelers reached 276,022, up 4.6%, accounting for 38% of the total.
Average load factor improved to 76.6%, up from 75.5% in January 2025, reflecting better utilisation and steady demand. Thessaloniki led growth with 25,000 additional passengers (+5.8%), driven by both domestic and international traffic.
International traffic grew from Turkey, the UK, Sweden, France, and Germany, while traffic from the Netherlands, Cyprus, and Austria declined. Temporary runway closures for RRF projects affected Corfu, Santorini, Rhodes, Mytilene, Samos, and Mykonos, but traffic still increased compared with the previous year. Kavala Airport, fully operational in January, recorded a 396% rise in passengers.
Traffic to and from Israel remained strong, particularly at Thessaloniki, which recorded a 49% increase (+1,700 passengers). Since the start of Fraport’s concession, the airports have served approximately 252 million passengers.
YPA-Managed Airports
The 24 regional airports under YPA, including Heraklion, Kalamata, Alexandroupolis, and Milos, also reported growth. Heraklion Airport recorded a 1.8% rise in January, with 138,993 passengers compared with 136,530 in January 2025. Flight operations increased to 1,065 from 882 the previous year.
Heraklion maintained its upward trajectory despite partial runway closures for upgrades, operating from the secondary runway with smaller aircraft during daytime periods.
