Acropolis, Athens.
August 2025 is expected to wrap up the summer season on a strong note, with a record number of airline seats, according to INSETE, the research institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).
According to the Air Data Tracker, seat availability in August is projected to reach 5,380,128—marking a 4.7 percent increase over the same month in 2024, which saw 5,153,893 seats—continuing the positive momentum from July.
Among this year’s standout growth markets, Israel leads with a sharp 33 percent rise, totaling 247,692 seats compared to 186,279 in August 2024. Turkiye follows with a 31.2 percent increase and 97,361 seats, while the United States recorded a 24.6 percent boost, reaching 129,193 seats.
Photo source: INSETE
Looking at traditional source markets, the United Kingdom continues to be Greece’s top provider of travelers, with an estimated 1,025,875 seats—up by 3.8 percent year-on-year. Germany ranks second with 817,263 seats, showing a 1.9 percent increase, followed by Italy with 628,175 seats and a 4.2 percent rise.
Despite ranking among the top five markets, France registered an 8.3 percent decline this year, dropping to 336,983 seats from 367,415 in August 2024. Downturns were also noted in the Czech Republic (-8.5 percent) and Poland (-8.4 percent), with estimated totals of 134,626 and 129,193 seats, respectively.
Athens remains Greece’s top air travel hub
Photo source: INSETE
Athens remains the country’s top air travel hub, with 1,622,091 seats in August—up 7.8 percent compared to the same month last year. Thessaloniki also posted strong growth with a 12.4 percent increase, while Aktion Airport saw the largest percentage gain, rising 11.9 percent.
Other key destinations also showed positive trends: Heraklion (up 3 percent) and Chania (up 5.3 percent) on Crete, as well as Rhodes (up 3 percent), Corfu (up 3.5 percent) and Mykonos (0,2 percent).
On the other hand, Zakynthos recorded a slight dip of 0.6 percent, with 233,365 seats compared to 234,812 last year. Declines were also observed in Santorini (7.3 percent), Kos (1 percent), and Kefalonia (3.9 percent).
As of the end of June, Greece had outpaced its Mediterranean competitors with a 5.7 percent year-over-year increase in seat capacity. In comparison, Spain reported a 2.8 percent rise, while Italy and Portugal saw slight decreases of 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.
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