Ionian Islands: Air Arrivals to Record Double-digit Growth for Third Year

Corfu Airport. Photo source: ekorfu

The Region of the Ionian Islands expects international air arrivals in 2018 to record a double-digit growth for a third consecutive year, based on data released for the month of October by Fraport, the manager of 14 Greek regional airports.

According to Fraport’s data, international air arrivals to the Ionian islands increased by 12.9 percent in October, compared to the same month in 2017, also boosting economic activity in the region.

The data showed that international arrivals at the airport of Kefallonia significantly increased by 33.3 percent; at Corfu airport by 12.5 percent, and at Zakynthos airport by 8.25 percent.

On the other hand, the number of international passengers at the airport of Aktion, western Greece, dropped by 5.3 percent in October.

Myrtos beach, Kefallonia. Photo Source: https://kefaloniaisland.org

Domestic traffic – arrivals and departures – also rose in October compared to the same month last year, with Kefallonia Airport showing increased traffic by 23 percent; Corfu by 22.9 percent and Zakynthos by some 10 percent. Domestic traffic in Aktion decreased by 18, 2 percent.

Zakynthos airport

Tourism traffic to the Ionian islands is expected to further increase in 2019, according to the region’s vice governor for tourism, Spyros Galiatsatos, who called on state and local authorities, and the private sector to work closely in order to meet “the unprecedented rise of tourism flows to the Ionian Islands”.