Athens International Airport, boarding card control points.
Athens International Airport (AIA) continued its strong growth path in early 2025, ranking as the second-best performing Mega Airport in Europe for January, according to the latest traffic report from Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe).
Passenger traffic at the Greek capital’s airport increased by 14.5 percent compared to January 2024, just behind Milan Malpensa, which saw a 14.9 percent rise.
Greece’s strong market performance
Passenger traffic across Greece’s airports increased by 11.4 percent in January, placing the country among the best-performing EU+ markets. Other high-growth countries in the region included Hungary (16.5 percent), Slovakia (14.4 percent), Croatia (13.8 percent), and Czech Republic/Czechia (13.8 percent).
By comparison, major European aviation markets such as Germany (2.1 percent), Ireland (1.5 percent), and Spain (6.0 percent) recorded more modest gains, reflecting ongoing economic challenges, aviation taxation, and other structural factors impacting demand.
Athens Airport among Europe’s fastest-growing hubs
Athens International Airport’s 14.5 percent increase reinforces its position as one of Europe’s top-performing Mega Airports, a category that includes airports handling between 25 and 40 million passengers annually. Other leading Mega Airports in terms of growth included Copenhagen (13.9 percent), Oslo (9.4 percent), and Manchester (8.5 percent).
Among Europe’s largest airports, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (16.2 percent) and Rome Fiumicino (11.3 percent) led growth in the Majors category (airports with over 40 million passengers).
Athens International Airport departures area, security control.
European market trends
Across the European airport network, total passenger traffic increased by 6.9 percent in January compared to the same month last year, reflecting continued demand resilience. Growth was stronger in non-EU+ markets (11.4 percent) than in EU+ markets (6.0 percent), which include EU member states as well as the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland.
Israel (77.7 percent) saw the most significant traffic surge, driven by the resumption of flights following geopolitical stabilization, although its numbers remain 42.3 percent below pre-pandemic levels. Other non-EU+ countries experiencing strong growth included Moldova (62.0 percent) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (50.1 percent).
At the other end of the spectrum, several markets reported traffic declines, including Russia (-9.9 percent) and North Macedonia (-9.1 percent), while Ukraine’s airports remain closed due to the ongoing war.
Photo © European Union / Source : EP
Outlook for 2025
While European airports continue to experience steady passenger traffic growth, ACI Europe warns of potential challenges ahead. Economic headwinds, aviation taxation, and shifting market dynamics could impact future demand, particularly in the EU+ region. However, resilient international traffic and the continued expansion of key hubs suggest that the industry remains on a solid trajectory for 2025.
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