Fraport-run Greek Regional Airports See Passenger Traffic Surge to Nearly 31 Million

Tourists on Rhodes. Photo source: Visit Greece

Passenger traffic across the 14 Greek regional airports managed by Fraport Greece reached a new milestone, with a total of 30.97 million passengers recorded from January to September 2024, marking a 5.9 percent increase from the 29.24 million passengers during the same period in 2023. This period includes the peak third quarter of the travel season, highlighting the continued growth in Greece’s regional air traffic.

While most airports showed increased passenger numbers, Kavala and Mykonos airports saw slight declines. Kavala experienced a 5.5 percent drop, while Mykonos recorded a 2.3 percent decrease, with 1.49 million passengers during the first nine months. Mykonos during January-September saw a 4.2 percent drop in international passengers, despite a 2.2 percent increase in domestic traffic.

Rhodes takes the lead among top destinations

According to the data, Rhodes Airport continues to show robust growth, underscoring the island’s strong appeal as a destination. With 5.95 million passengers from January to September, Rhodes experienced a remarkable 12.4 percent year-over-year increase. The growth is driven primarily by international traffic, which rose by 13.3 percent, totaling 5.27 million passengers.

Steady growth in Thessaloniki, Corfu, and Chania airports

Thessaloniki Airport reported a 4 percent increase in passenger traffic for January through September, totaling 5.68 million passengers. Of these, 3.86 million were international travelers, showing a 2.6 percent rise compared to the same period in 2023.

Chania and Corfu airports also demonstrated strong performance. Chania Airport served 3.39 million passengers, up 7.9 percent, with international arrivals at 2.71 million, reflecting a 7.6 percent increase. Corfu Airport welcomed 3.9 million passengers, marking a 6.1 percent rise year-over-year, with 3.57 million of these being international travelers.

Santorini Airport saw similar growth, with passenger numbers reaching 2.48 million, up 3.4 percent. International arrivals grew by 1.4 percent, reaching 1.4 million, while domestic traffic saw a more robust 6.1 percent increase, totaling 1.08 million passengers.

Highest increase: Mytilini Airport

Among the 14 regional airports, Mytilini Airport on Lesvos achieved the highest increase, with a 15.7 percent rise in traffic, totaling 469,000 passengers. This surge was driven by a remarkable 47.7 percent increase in international arrivals, which accounted for 172,000 of the total passengers.

Mytilini and Skiathos lead September growth in international traffic

For September, Mytilini Airport led the way with a remarkable 55 percent increase in international traffic, totaling over 36,000 passengers. Overall passenger traffic at Mytilini reached over 72,000, reflecting a substantial 19.6 percent increase.

Skiathos Airport also recorded impressive growth in September, with total traffic rising by 25.7 percent to surpass 107,000 passengers. Of these, 98,000 were international travelers, marking a 28.5 percent increase compared to the same month last year.

Santorini experienced a slight rise, with traffic up by 2.4 percent.

Conversely, Mykonos saw the largest decrease in passenger numbers, with a 6.9 percent drop to 253,000 passengers. International traffic at Mykonos fell even further, down 9 percent, with 171,000 passengers for the month.

Other airports with slight declines in September included Kavala (down 4 percent), Kefalonia (down 1.1 percent), Kos (down 0.7 percent), and Aktio (down 0.3 percent).

Top nationalities visiting Greece in September

In terms of traveler nationality, British visitors topped the list in September, accounting for 1.24 million of the 5.32 million total passengers at the 14 regional airports. Greek nationals followed, with 831,000 passengers, and Germans rounded out the top three with over 776,000. Polish and Italian visitors were also significant, with 345,000 and 305,000 passengers, respectively.