UAE’s Air Arabia Relaunches Direct Flights to Athens

UAE-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia resumed direct flights to Athens, Greece, from Sharjah on Friday, June 28. Operating an Airbus A320, the route initially offers four weekly flights during the summer, with plans to increase frequency to daily.

Sharjah, the capital of its namesake emirate, is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, located approximately 25 minutes by car from Dubai and about an hour and a half from Abu Dhabi.

Flights to Athens International Airport (AIA) were first launched in 2007 but were discontinued due to the global economic crisis.

“We started operations in Athens in 2007, but unfortunately, due to the global economic crisis and the economic challenges faced by Athens at that time, we had to suspend the route after about a year. Additionally, our network was not as extensive as it is today,” said Air Arabia CEO Adel Al Ali during a gala event celebrating the relaunch of the Sharjah-Athens route, speaking to GTP Headlines.

Air Arabia CEO Adel Al Ali. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Launched in 2003, Air Arabia now serves over 206 destinations across 50 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Europe. The airline operates from seven primary hubs located in Sharjah, UAE; Ras Al Khaimah, UAE; Casablanca, Morocco; Alexandria, Egypt; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Karachi, Pakistan.

Athens represents the latest addition to Air Arabia’s expanding EU network from Sharjah, UAE, alongside Milan and Krakow.

Aim for daily flights between Athens and Sharjah

Regarding future developments in the Greek market, Al Ali informed GTP Headlines that Air Arabia’s immediate goal is to increase the frequency of its Athens route to daily flights.

“Currently, we operate four flights per week, which are showing promising results. Our objective is to transition to daily flights and subsequently expand to other destinations in Greece that show market potential,” he said.

UAE: An important market for Athens Airport

AIA Director of Communication and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Speaking at the gala event, AIA Director of Communication and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou highlighted Air Arabia’s return to Athens as a “spectacular” development.

Data from AIA indicates that the UAE market sees around half a million passengers annually. From January to May, Athens Airport welcomed 155,000 passengers from this market, marking a 37 percent increase compared to the first five months of 2023, a record year for Greek tourism.

“The UAE market holds significant importance for us… We are highly optimistic that this market will continue to flourish,” Papadopoulou said, noting the market’s robust Greek ties as a solid foundation for future expansion.

“The Sharjah-Athens route not only provides a point-to-point service but also strengthens our airport’s, city’s, and country’s connectivity, leveraging Air Arabia’s extensive network… This new service will enhance Athens’ connectivity to the Gulf region, the Indian subcontinent, Thailand, and other destinations not currently directly served by AIA,” Papadopoulou explained.

Minister: Sharjah-Athens route is a new bridge for tourism

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

On her part, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said that the launch of direct flights between Sharjah and Athens could act as a “powerful catalyst” for travel and cooperation.

“The inaugural flight of Air Arabia from Sharjah to Athens not only marks the beginning of a new chapter in the aviation history of our two nations but also symbolizes the strong relationship between our countries… It serves as an important link, a new bridge for tourism, cultural exchange, and business,” Kefalogianni stated at the gala event.

The tourism minister expressed Greece’s readiness to foster closer ties with the UAE and explore new collaborations.

“The new direct flight clearly reflects the growing interest of travelers from the UAE in Greek destinations,” she added, highlighting that the Sharjah-Athens route holds potential to enhance trade and service connections between the two countries.

Air Arabia offers convenient non-stop flights between Athens and Sharjah four times a week, departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Flight G9 684 departs Sharjah for Athens at 09:10 am, arriving at 1:15 pm local time. The return flight, G9 685, departs Athens on the same days at 2:05 pm local time, landing in Sharjah at 8:00 pm.

As the first and largest Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, Air Arabia operates a modern fleet consisting of 74 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. The airline is set to expand further with the introduction of 120 Airbus A320-neo family aircraft starting in 2025.