easyJet Expands in Greece: Two New Routes from Athens and 1.3 Million Seats in 2025

easyJet Country Manager for Italy and Greece Lorenzo Lagorio. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Low-cost airline easyJet is embarking on a “new beginning” in Greece, expanding its presence as a key focus of its strategic development plan.

Founded in 1995, easyJet has a long history in the Greek market, having flown approximately 40 million passengers to and from Greece since 1998.

During a media briefing in Athens on Wednesday, Lorenzo Lagorio, easyJet’s Country Manager for Italy and Greece, unveiled the airline’s largest-ever flight schedule for the summer season of 2025. This expansion includes two new routes connecting Athens to Luton and Alicante, starting in summer 2025, as part of the airline’s growth from summer 2024.

With these new destinations, easyJet’s total number of routes from Athens will rise to 17, offering more than 1.3 million seats in 2025—more than double the number in 2023.

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

“We are making a new start at easyJet and focusing on Greece for the future,” Lagorio said, highlighting that beyond being a beautiful destination, Greece offers significant potential for expansion. “For us, Greece, and especially Athens, is a location in which we want to invest and further strengthen our presence.”

easyJet already operates at 15 airports in Greece, and according to Lagorio, the airline is eager to expand further by adding more destinations to its network.

Factors driving easyJet’s focus on Greece

Lagorio attributed the airline’s increased focus on Greece to several key factors, including the improved economic environment, heightened demand for Greece as a travel destination, and a surge in travel activity following the pandemic. “We see Greece as a key market for future growth,” Lagorio underlined.

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Exploring an Athens base

According to Lagorio, as part of easyJet’s future plans, the company is evaluating the possibility of establishing a base at Athens International Airport (AIA). Such a move would not only expand the airline’s network from Athens but also strengthen Greece’s connectivity with other destinations abroad, contributing to easyJet’s continued growth.

AIA Director of Communications and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou highlighted the importance of this potential development.

“easyJet has been a vital partner since our airport’s inception in 2001. The possibility of establishing a base here would mark a significant development for both easyJet and Athens,” she said.

Impressive growth in 2024

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

According to Papadopoulou’s data, easyJet has shown impressive growth in 2024, quickly recovering from the pandemic. From January to November, the airline transported 855,000 passengers to and from Athens Airport, representing a 50 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. The addition of new routes played a key role, bringing in 103,000 additional passengers.

As the fourth-largest operator at AIA, easyJet added seven new routes in 2024, averaging 11.3 flights per day during the peak season, connecting Athens to six countries. For 2024, easyJet is projected to carry over 100 million passengers across its network, with an estimated turnover of 10 billion euros and pre-tax profits of 733 million euros.

Key milestones and route expansion

easyJet’s presence in Athens has grown steadily over the years. In 2009, the airline transported 631,000 passengers to Athens, and by 2019, that number had reached 610,000. In 2023, the airline saw a 1 percent increase, reaching 615,000 passengers.

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

A key indicator of easyJet’s growth is the increase in weekly routes. In 2019, the airline operated 51 weekly routes from Athens, connecting the city to 10 European destinations. By 2024, that number had grown to 79 weekly routes, covering 17 destinations. New cities added to the network include Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, Venice, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, and Luton.

Market share and route performance

easyJet holds a significant market share on 10 of the 17 routes it operates from Athens. Notably, the airline dominates routes connecting Athens to Bristol (87 percent), Basel (75 percent), Naples (57 percent), and Gatwick (47 percent). Additionally, easyJet serves nearly half of the passengers traveling between Athens and London Gatwick.

Traveler demographics

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According to AIA’s data, 79 percent of foreign tourists traveling to Greece with the airline do so for leisure. Most book their flights through the airline’s website and plan their trips well in advance, with foreign visitors typically spending eight days in Greece, three of which are spent in Athens.

For Greek travelers flying with easyJet, 63 percent travel for leisure, 21 percent for visits to friends and family, and 15 percent for business. Greeks also prefer booking their flights online and typically stay for five days at their destination, with most traveling with friends.