2025 is expected to be another landmark year for the Greek aviation market

2025 is expected to be another landmark year for the Greek aviation market, with Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” a key factor in the country’s rise, as almost all major airports are growing at a rapid pace, with new passenger traffic records and expansion of international networks.

Greece now operates as one of the most powerful air travel gateways in the Mediterranean, with consistently high demand from abroad and intense competition among airlines.

Aegean Airlines, holding 44.4% of the total “pie”, continues to dominate “Eleftherios Venizelos”, maintaining the title of national carrier. Sky Express, with a market share of 20%, has established itself as a major “player”, expanding its fleet and adding routes to Greece and Europe. The top duo is completed by almost all the major airlines as well as many low-cost companies.

Europe continues to be the main pool of travelers to Greece, while it also remains the top choice of Greeks for traveling abroad. The main markets remain the United Kingdom, Germany and the Scandinavian countries, while American travelers continue to visit Greece.

Indicative, in fact, of the dynamics recorded by the “air bridges” with the USA and Canada are the relevant data of arrivals and departures at the largest airport in the country from the airports of the “other side”. Thus, 15% of the passengers traveling at “Eleftherios Venizelos” come from the USA and Canada.

Meanwhile, this year, in addition to the popular destinations, it was found that smaller destinations, such as Aktio, Skiathos and Mytilene, are recording a dynamic increase, reflecting the global trend for calmer and less saturated places.

At the same time, Greece is gradually “building” its profile as a twelve-month destination, with the months of low demand, from November to March, strengthening their share of total international arrivals, while giving a boost to travel receipts.

Therefore, Greece, with its two largest urban centers, Athens and Thessaloniki, is emerging as an all-year-round destination, attracting travelers who choose to escape the winter.

Itineraries

Consequently, major airlines, in order to cope with the ever-increasing demand, have strengthened their winter flight schedules, adding seats and routes. An indication of the momentum that the period from November to March is gaining is the number of scheduled airline seats on incoming international flights.

Specifically, according to data from Airdata Tracker, the tool of the Institute of the Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises (INSETE), for this five-month period, over 6.27 million seats on incoming international flights have been scheduled, a number that has increased by 11% compared to the corresponding period last year.

Finally, 2026 is forecast to be a strong year for Greek tourism, with major airlines and tour operators in the industry adding frequencies, routes and destinations for the summer, enriching their programs in order to cope with the high demand recorded for Greece.

An indication of the mobility observed for 2026 is the fact that Greece figures among the most popular destinations for several markets.