Greek Airports Break Annual Passenger Record in First Ten Months of 2024

Passenger traffic at Greek airports soared in the first ten months of 2024, marking an 8.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Data from the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and Hellenic Aviation Service Provider (HASP) revealed that passenger numbers for the January-October period have already exceeded the total traffic recorded in 2023.

Between January and October 2024, Greece’s 39 airports handled 72,805,622 passengers, up from 66,845,641 during the same timeframe last year. These figures include passenger traffic from Athens International Airport (AIA), 24 state-managed airports, and 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece.

Aircraft movements show strong growth

Aircraft movements — comprising domestic and international flights — also experienced significant growth. During the ten-month period, a total of 546,858 flights were recorded, reflecting a 6.9 percent increase from 511,723 flights in 2023.

“This year is on track to set a new record for passenger traffic at Greek airports,” said HASP Governor George Saounatsos. “The figures for the first ten months of 2024 have already surpassed the entire annual total for 2023.”

State-managed airports: 6.8% growth

The 24 airports under HCAA management collectively saw a 6.8 percent increase in passenger numbers, rising to 11,295,034 travelers from 10,573,944 in 2023. Among these, Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” broke its own records, serving 1,065,923 passengers in October—a notable 8.9 percent increase over October 2023.

Other standout performances in October were recorded at Nea Anchialos Airport (+160.9 percent), Sitia Airport (+76.9 percent), and Kalamata Airport (+42.7 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 surpasses 27 million passengers

Athens International Airport (AIA) handled 27.57 million passengers in the first ten months of 2024, reflecting a 12.9 percent year-on-year increase. Domestic passenger traffic rose by 7.3 percent, while international traffic surged by 15.5 percent. October alone saw 3.01 million passengers pass through AIA, a 10 percent increase compared to the same month in 2023.

Fraport-managed Airports achieve 6.2% growth

Fraport Greece’s 14 regional airports recorded 34.34 million passengers between January and October, a 6.2 percent rise from 2023. Domestic traffic grew by 6.5 percent, while international traffic increased by 6.2 percent.

In October, Fraport-managed airports handled 3.37 million passengers, a 9.2 percent increase from the same month in 2023. Fraport Greece operates airports in popular destinations such as Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Corfu, Mykonos, and Santorini.