As Greeks prepare to usher in Clean Monday on February 23, a religious public holiday, passenger traffic is expected to peak over the long weekend, with the populace planning their getaways.
Interest in popular domestic locations remains a strong choice for many holidaymakers, but international destinations are still top preferences. The bookings so far confirm robust travel demand over the holiday period.
According to available data from Aegean Airlines, passenger traffic for the Clean Monday weekend from both Athens and Thessaloniki is running at very high levels, with capacity exceeding 80%.
In particular, on the international network from the airline’s main office in Athens, load capacity surpasses 85%, with similar performance recorded at Thessaloniki’s Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia.
The domestic network is also showing positive momentum, with capacity from Athens approaching 80%, while Thessaloniki is recording even higher rates, exceeding 85%.
The highest figures, on both international and domestic routes, is recorded for Thursday, Friday and Clean Monday itself, with traffic from and to the airline’s two largest bases particularly elevated.
Based on data from the Athens office, the five most popular international destinations are Rome, Milan, Paris, Barcelona and Istanbul.
Rome, Italy
Barcelona, Spain
Milan, Italy
Paris, France
From Thessaloniki, the top destinations in order are Brussels, Barcelona, Rome, Munich and Larnaca.
As for domestic locations from Athens, the most popular choices are Alexandroupolis, Heraklion, Chios, Santorini and Rhodes.
Heraklion, Crete
From Thessaloniki, Chios, Limnos, Kos, Heraklion and Rhodes stand out.
Overall, Greek travelers this year are opting mainly for established, timeless destinations abroad, while in the domestic network, island destinations dominate preferences, attracting particularly strong interest during the holiday.
High load factors are also being recorded for alternative and less traditional destinations such as Sofia, Belgrade, Bucharest and Zagreb, as well as Jeddah, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
Belgrade, Serbia
