Air travel in Greece is showing steady momentum, according to data released this week by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and Hellenic Aviation Service Provider (HASP).
From January through August 2025, airports across the country welcomed 57.4 million passengers — a 4.6 percent increase from last year — highlighting the resilience and growth of both major hubs and smaller regional airports.
The figures cover all 39 airports with commercial flights, including Athens International Airport (AIA), the 24 state airports managed by the HCAA, and the 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece.
The HCAA’s latest data reflects a steady upward trend in Greece’s air transport sector, buoyed by strong demand during the peak summer season. Specifically, passenger traffic from January to August 2025 reached 57,475,778, up from 54,946,379 during the same period in 2024.
Aircraft movements also rose, with 432,917 flights recorded in the first eight months of 2025, a 3.5 percent increase from 418,160 flights in 2024.
State-run airports see strong 6.7% uptick in passenger traffic
Passenger traffic at the 24 airports managed by the HCAA rose 6.7 percent over the eight-month period, totaling 8.92 million travelers, up from 8.36 million in 2024. These airports include key regional hubs such as Heraklion, Kalamata, Alexandroupolis, and Syros.
Syros Airport saw the most striking growth, with passenger numbers doubling from 1,833 in the first eight months of 2024 to 3,736 in 2025, an increase of 105.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport in Heraklion, Crete, served 1,789,861 passengers in August, a 6.9 percent rise compared to the same month last year. Smaller island airports also recorded notable gains: Naxos Airport traffic increased 19.3 percent to 39,464 passengers, and Astypalea rose 18.4 percent to 6,029 travelers.
AIA records strong summer, Welcoming 22.7 million travelers
Summer 2025 ended on a strong note for Athens International Airport (AIA), with both passenger arrivals and flight activity rising in August, setting the stage for a robust autumn.
From January to August, AIA welcomed 22,713,567 travelers, a 6.8 percent increase from 2024. In August alone, passenger arrivals reached 3,882,889, up 6.7 percent from 3,640,547 the previous year. International travelers accounted for 2,764,529 (up 8.4 percent), while domestic passengers totaled 1,118,360 (up 2.5 percent).
Fraport airports post steady gains amid rising international travel
The 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece also posted gains.
From January through August, total passenger traffic reached 26.31 million, up 2.6 percent from 2024. International arrivals grew 3.7 percent, while domestic traffic dipped slightly by 0.2 percent. Thessaloniki led the increases with a 7.6 percent rise to 5.28 million passengers, followed by Kavala (7.1 percent) and Skiathos (6.6 percent).
In August, Fraport’s regional airports handled roughly 6.8 million passengers, marking a record high for the period. Rhodes saw the largest surge with 1,324,730 arrivals, up 4.8 percent year-on-year, followed by Corfu with 976,245 passengers, up 5.3 percent, and Thessaloniki with 910,204 travelers, a 9 percent increase, highlighting the city’s growing appeal as a summer destination.
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