Greece airport traffic up 6.5%, Crete leads gains

Published on Aug 15, 2025, 12:50 pm CDT

6 min read

Passenger numbers across Greece continued to climb through peak season as new data show a 6.5 percent increase at the 24 airports managed by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority in January to July 2025, compared with the same period in 2024. When including all 39 commercial airports nationwide, traffic rose 4.7 percent, underscoring resilient demand for Greek island and city gateways. Crete stood out, with Heraklion International Airport (HER) topping July volumes, while smaller Cycladic fields posted the fastest percentage growth. Athens International Airport (ATH) also advanced, reinforcing the country's hub connectivity.

Key Points

Why it matters: Greece airport traffic is rising into late summer, signaling robust travel demand across islands and city hubs.
Travel impact: More seats and fuller flights to Crete and Athens, though some islands show mixed trends.
What's next: Continued peak-season strength, then a gradual shoulder-season taper as schedules roll down.
Heraklion (HER) handled about 1.69 million July passengers, up 4.7 percent year over year.
Syros, Nea Anchialos, and Astypalaia recorded the fastest percentage gains among state-managed airports.
Athens (ATH) totaled 18.83 million travelers year to date through July, up 6.9 percent.

Snapshot

Greece's aviation network is delivering a steady summer. State-managed airports posted 6.5 percent growth in the first seven months of 2025, led by Crete's Heraklion International Airport (HER), which moved about 1.69 million passengers in July, up 4.7 percent. Across all 39 commercial airports, nationwide traffic increased 4.7 percent in January to July, with total flights also higher. Athens International Airport (ATH) advanced 6.9 percent year to date, reflecting strong international demand and a solid domestic base. Among the smaller fields, Syros Island National Airport (JSY), Nea Anchialos National Airport (VOL), and Astypalaia Island National Airport (JTY) posted the fastest percentage gains, albeit from low absolute volumes. The result is a broadly positive peak season, even as performance varies airport to airport.

Background

Greece's 39-airport ecosystem is split among three operators. The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority oversees 24 state airports, including Heraklion International Airport (HER). Fraport Greece manages 14 regional gateways such as Chania International Airport (CHQ), Rhodes (RHO), Santorini (JTR), and Thessaloniki (SKG). Athens International Airport (ATH) operates independently as the country's primary hub. Summer schedules concentrate capacity into island markets, while Athens anchors both domestic feed and long-haul connectivity. This year's pattern follows a familiar arc, with July at or near the annual peak, followed by robust August demand and a taper into shoulder months. Within that framework, absolute winners can differ from percentage outliers, since smaller Aegean fields swing more sharply on modest schedule additions. The latest reports continue the post-pandemic normalization trend, with growth now driven by network adjustments and steady leisure demand rather than one-off rebounds.

Latest Developments

Greece airport traffic, July 2025 at a glance

Heraklion International Airport (HER) handled approximately 1,693,791 passengers in July 2025, a 4.7 percent increase compared with July 2024, cementing Crete's lead in absolute high-season volumes. At the national level, passenger traffic across all 39 commercial airports rose 4.7 percent in January to July 2025 versus the same period last year, alongside a 3.6 percent uptick in aircraft movements. The state-managed cohort alone advanced 6.5 percent over the seven-month span, reflecting solid leisure flows into key islands and regional centers. These results point to a balanced season, with Crete absorbing heavy demand while the mainland hub in Athens sustains connectivity and frequency. Travelers should expect continued high load factors into late August, followed by a gradual easing as carriers pivot to autumn timetables.

Smaller islands post fastest percentage gains

Among state-managed airports, Syros Island National Airport (JSY) more than doubled July throughput year over year from a small base, while Nea Anchialos National Airport (VOL) and Astypalaia Island National Airport (JTY) registered double-digit gains. These swings often stem from incremental capacity and schedule tweaks, where a handful of additional frequencies can materially move the needle. For travelers, the takeaway is straightforward, plan ahead for limited-capacity island routes, particularly on weekends. While absolute numbers remain modest compared with Crete or Athens, the sharp growth highlights how demand is spreading to less-crowded Cycladic and mainland alternatives, expanding options for peak-season itineraries.

Mixed picture at Fraport-managed gateways, Athens momentum holds

Fraport Greece's 14 airports showed a varied year-to-date profile through July. Thessaloniki (SKG) was up 7.3 percent, and Chania (CHQ) grew 4.1 percent, while Santorini (JTR) trended lower year to date from last year's very strong base. Overall, the Fraport portfolio edged higher year to date, reflecting solid but uneven island dynamics. In the capital, Athens International Airport (ATH) processed 3.76 million passengers in July, up 4.1 percent year over year, bringing its January to July total to 18.83 million, a 6.9 percent increase. International traffic led Athens' gains, underscoring the city's role as both a destination and a transfer point into the islands.

Analysis

Two signals stand out in the latest Greece airport traffic data. First, Crete is doing the heavy lifting in absolute terms. Heraklion's July tally shows how the island's mix of resort capacity, charter operations, and scheduled service matches summer demand. Second, dispersion is real. Percentage leaders like Syros, Nea Anchialos, and Astypalaia illustrate how small, targeted capacity additions are redirecting some peak traffic away from the most saturated islands. That dispersion should ease pressure on constrained gateways and diversify lodging markets, even if it complicates planning for ground transport and inter-island links.

For operators, the split between Fraport's regional airports and the state-managed network remains meaningful. Fraport's mixed results, including softer year-to-date numbers at Santorini, suggest that last year's exceptional peaks are normalizing as travelers discover alternatives. Meanwhile, Athens continues to grow on the strength of international demand and its domestic web, which encourages longer, multi-stop itineraries. For travelers and advisors, the practical takeaway is to lock flights early for smaller islands, consider shoulder-season windows, and use Athens or Crete as stable anchor points. If current trends hold, late-season availability should improve first on secondary islands, then on marquee routes. Overall, the Greece airport traffic picture points to a healthy season that is broadening beyond a few headline hotspots.

Final Thoughts

Greece's aviation summer looks both strong and more distributed. Crete's Heraklion anchors peak-season flows, Athens extends the network's reach, and smaller fields capture incremental demand. Travelers should expect firm prices and high loads through August, then a softer glide into September and October that favors flexible planners. The storyline is not a surge, it is steady normalization with more choices across the Aegean. That is good news for air connectivity, lodging availability, and route planners alike, and it keeps the spotlight on Greece airport traffic as a bellwether for Mediterranean leisure demand.