Greece Sees Significant Growth in Airline Seat Capacity for Winter 2025

The total seat capacity that airlines plan to offer on incoming international flights to Greece for the winter season of 2024/25 is expected to increase by 16.4 percent compared to the 2023/24 period, according to INSETE, the research institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).

Based on the latest figures from INSETE’s Airdata Tracker, which analyzes data from the global travel data provider OAG, the total number of available seats from November to March is projected to reach 5.659 million.

January is a particularly significant month, with scheduled seat availability exceeding one million, marking an increase of 16.7 percent compared to the previous year. In December, the number of available seats rose by 20.7 percent, totaling 1.173 million, while November recorded a 21.6 percent increase compared to 2023, with 1.221 million seats. February showed a 17.4 percent rise, and March is expected to see a 22 percent increase. These figures indicate that Greece is likely to experience another robust tourism season.

All major international markets are also demonstrating upward trends. Germany shows a 6 percent increase, the United Kingdom 7.7 percent, the United States 10.5 percent, France 28 percent, Italy 4 percent, and the Netherlands 20 percent. Additionally, scheduled seat increases at Athens International Airport and Thessaloniki Airport are projected at 17.3 percent and 14.6 percent, respectively.

Tourism in Greece recorded a new revenue milestone last year, surpassing 20.5 billion euros in 2023.

According to data from the Bank of Greece, revenues during the first ten months increased by 5.5 percent compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 20.9 billion euros. Receipts from Germany totaled 3.6 billion euros, while those from Italy increased by 15.7 percent. Receipts from the United States rose by 10.1 percent to 1.4 billion euros.

Inbound travel traffic also saw significant growth, increasing by 9.2 percent to reach 33.8 million travelers, compared to 30.9 million during the corresponding period in 2023. Specifically, travel traffic from Germany increased by 14.9 percent to 5.2 million travelers, arrivals from the United Kingdom reached 4.4 million, and arrivals from the United States rose by 7.9 percent to 1.36 million travelers.

According to data from the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority and Athens International Airport, as processed by INSETE, a total of 25.5 million international air arrivals were recorded during the eleven-month period, exceeding the January-November 2023 figures (23.5 million) by 5.8 percent.