airBaltic Boosts Presence in Greece with New Routes to Mykonos and Rhodes

airBaltic, Latvia’s national airline, on Monday announced two new routes to Greece for the summer of 2025, enhancing its presence in the country. As part of a broader expansion, the airline will introduce Mykonos to its flight schedule and increase its operations in Rhodes, bringing the total number of weekly routes to Greece to 16 in 2025.

Starting in June 2025, airBaltic will offer a weekly flight from Riga to Mykonos. Additionally, from April 2025, the airline will launch direct flights between Vilnius and Rhodes, operating twice a week.

airBaltic flies almost year-round (from March to January) on the Riga-Athens route. As part of its summer program, from May to October, it operates flights from Riga to Thessaloniki, Heraklion (Crete), Rhodes, and Corfu.

Maria Mastoraki, Country Manager Greece for TAL Aviation, the GSA (General Sales Agent) of airBaltic in Greece. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Strengthening connectivity to Athens

During a press conference in Athens to present the airline’s two new routes, Athens International Airport (AIA) Director of Marketing and Communications Ioanna Papadopoulou highlighted how the airline helps strengthen connectivity to Athens.

“airBaltic is very important for us thanks to the connectivity it offers,” she said.

According to Papadopoulou, the development of airBaltic is strategically important for AIA, as it not only connects Athens directly to Riga but also enhances connectivity to the broader Baltic region and beyond. Via Riga, destinations like Tallinn and Vilnius are easily accessible.

“29 percent of travelers from Athens to Riga continue their journeys to other destinations, such as Tallinn or Vilnius,” she explained. “This significantly benefits both the Athens market and the broader Greek travel sector,” she added.

Air Baltic’s growth in Athens

Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Marketing and Communications at Athens International Airport (AIA). Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Over the last 16 years, from 2007 to 2023, airBaltic has carried more than 328,000 passengers to Athens. The airline’s growth is evident: in 2011, it operated just two weekly flights on the Riga-Athens route, but by 2024, this will increase to five routes and 13 weekly flights.

As noted, airBaltic maintains nearly year-round flights between Riga and Athens from March to January. Additionally, seasonal flights to Thessaloniki, Heraklion (Crete), Rhodes, and Corfu are operated from May to October.

A landmark year for the Riga-Athens route came in 2023, with direct traffic between the two cities reaching 47,000 travelers. This was a significant increase from 30,000 in 2011, and it surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, registering a 4.7 percent increase compared to 2019.

2024 growth

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

According to data presented by Maria Mastoraki, Country Manager Greece for TAL Aviation, the GSA (General Sales Agent) of airBaltic in Greece, in the first half of 2024 the airline transported 2.2 million travelers, reflecting an 11.1 percent increase from the same period in 2023.

Moreover, from January to October 2024, direct passenger traffic between Riga and Athens saw a 14 percent rise compared to the same period in 2023. Notably, this growth occurred even during the off-peak months, specifically between March and April.

Demographics of Latvian travelers

Latvian travelers to Athens are primarily couples (50 percent), who visit Greece mainly for leisure. They typically book flights 67 days in advance and take an average of four trips per year. Their average stay in Greece is nine days, with three of those days spent in Athens.

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

airBaltic operates flights to over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region from its bases in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere, and Gran Canaria. Through 23 code-share and interline agreements, the airline offers access to over 300 destinations from its five bases.