Greece’s 39 Airports Report Strong Growth in Passenger Traffic for Jan-Sept 2024

Passenger traffic at Greek airports saw an 8.7 percent increase during the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to recent data from the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and Hellenic Aviation Service Provider (HASP).

In total, 65,133,705 passengers passed through Greece’s 39 airports between January and September 2024, up from 59,901,542 during the same period in 2023.

The data covers all of Greece’s airports, including Athens International Airport (AIA), the 24 regional airports managed by the HCAA/HASP, and the 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece.

Additionally, the number of flights at these 39 airports increased by 6.6 percent, with 489,694 flights in the first three quarters of 2024, compared to 459,342 in the same period last year.

24 State-Managed Airports See 6.1% Rise

Heraklion International Airport. Photo source: Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA)

Passenger traffic at the 24 publicly managed airports overseen by the HCAA/HASP grew by 6.1 percent, reaching 9,984,655 passengers in the first nine months of 2024, up from 9,413,077 in the same period last year.

Among regional airports, Heraklion’s “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport on Crete served the highest number of passengers in September, with 1,413,761 travelers, marking a 6.6 percent increase from the 1,326,028 passengers it handled in September 2023.

Notable percentage increases in September were recorded at the airports of Sitia (66.6 percent), Milos (35.7 percent), and Kozani (35.2 percent).

In total, the following are Greece’s 24 state-managed airports: Heraklion, Kalamata, Alexandroupoli, Limnos, Astypalea, Ionnina, Chios, Kozani, Kastoria, Karpathos, Kythira, Milos, Skyros, Nea Anchialos, Paros, Syros, Araxos, Naxos, Kalymnos, Ikaria, Kastelorizo, Kassos, Leros, Sitia.

Athens Airport handles 24.56 million passengers

Between January and September 2024, Athens International Airport (AIA) saw some 24.56 million passengers, reflecting a 13.3 percent year-over-year increase. During this period, domestic passenger traffic rose by 7.3 percent, while international traffic grew by 16 percent.

In September alone, AIA handled 3.3 million passengers, a 9.7 percent increase compared to September 2023. AIA’s Director of Communications & Marketing, Ioanna Papadopoulou, noted that these figures reinforce predictions that 2024 could be a record-breaking year for Athens Airport, provided there are no unforeseen disruptions to air transport.

Fraport-Managed airports see 5.9% rise

From January to September 2024, the 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece recorded some 30.97 million passengers, representing a 5.9 percent increase from the 29.24 million passengers recorded during the same period in 2023.

In September alone, these 14 regional airports handled 5,324,110 passengers, up 3.7 percent from the 5,134,020 passengers during the same month last year.