Greek Regional Airports Achieve New Passenger Traffic High in Jan-Oct 2024

Photo source: Fraport Greece

Fraport Greece, which oversees 14 regional airports in Greece, is on track to achieve a new record for passenger traffic. Between January and October, the 14 airports recorded 34.34 million passengers, reflecting a 6.2 percent year-on-year increase.

It is reminded that Fraport Greece manages the following airports: Aktio, Chania, Corfu, Kavala, Kefalonia, Thessaloniki, Zakynthos, Kos, Mytilini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, and Skiathos.

According to the data released on Thursday, international traffic to the 14 Greek airports grew by 6.2 percent, while domestic traffic performed slightly better with a 6.5 percent increase.

In terms of flight activity, the total number of flights during January – October increased by 4.2 percent compared to the same period in 2022. Domestic flights saw a growth of 5.2 percent, while international flights rose by 3.8 percent.

October performance

In October, Fraport Greece’s 14 regional airports saw 3.37 million passengers, a 9.2 percent increase from the same month in 2023. International passenger traffic rose by 9.8 percent, while domestic traffic saw a 7 percent increase.

The number of flights in October also increased by 7.6 percent, with international flights rising by 7.8 percent, while domestic flights grew by 7.3 percent.

Performance of Mykonos and Santorini airports

As two of Greece’s most popular tourism destinations, Mykonos and Santorini are singled out for their contrasting performance in passenger traffic.

Mykonos Airport continued its downward trend, with a 9.9 percent decline in passenger traffic in October compared to the same month in 2023. Over the 10-month period, the airport saw a decrease of 2.8 percent. This decline marked a continuation of a dip for the island, traditionally known for a strong summer tourism season.

In contrast, Santorini Airport performed positively. The airport saw a 4.7 percent increase in passenger traffic for October, with a 3.6 percent rise over the 10 months, effectively recovering from earlier losses. Santorini’s consistent growth stands out, especially in the context of a challenging recovery for global tourism.

Top airports by passenger volume

Rhodes Airport led with 792,000 passengers in October, followed by Thessaloniki (689,000 passengers) and Chania (397,000 passengers).

Over the 10-month period, Rhodes maintained the top spot with 6.7 million passengers, followed closely by Thessaloniki, which recorded 6.3 million passengers.

In terms of percentage growth, Mytilini (15.1 percent) and Rhodes (12.8 percent) recorded the largest increases. Mykonos and Kavala were the only airports to show a decline.

Passenger origin countries

The United Kingdom remained the leading source of international passengers for the 14 Greek regional airports during October. Greece follows in second place, and Germany in third. Poland and the Netherlands rounded out the top five countries of origin.