Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos is heading for a record year, with 33.8 million passengers expected in 2025, up from 31.9 million last year according to its COO Alexandros Aravanis and Fraport Greece’s Head of Cluster George Varsamis, who were speaking at the Infrastructure and Transport Conference in Athens.
The largest airport of Greece is already seeing 7% higher traffic than in 2024 and 33% above 2019 levels, driven mainly by international routes and expanding long-haul connections to North America. To meet the ever-growing demand, a €1.3 billion expansion plan is underway, with the main aim of increasing capacity to 40 million travellers. Passengers will soon see improvements on the ground: a seven-story parking facility and 32 new aircraft stands are scheduled to open by 2027, while further upgrades will be rolled out by the end of the decade.
Beyond Athens, Greece’s 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece are also on track for growth. Passenger traffic is forecast to exceed 36.5 million this year, a rise of 2.5%–3% compared to 2024. From January to August alone, regional airports welcomed 26.3 million travellers, up 2.6%, with international arrivals leading the way.
Four island gateways, Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, and Kos, are at the centre of a €200 million investment plan to expand and upgrade facilities after reaching capacity limits. “These airports are vital for tourism and need further reinforcement to meet demand and improve the traveler experience,” noted Varsamis.
Santorini, a flagship destination for Greek tourism, has faced challenges this year after February’s seismic activity led to a drop in passenger traffic. Between January and August, arrivals totalled 1.72 million, down 16% year-on-year, though August showed signs of recovery with a smaller decline of 9.4%. Fraport Greece expects traffic to rebound in the coming years, with infrastructure upgrades ensuring the island can accommodate future demand
Additional investments are also flowing into other airports. Fraport Greece spends around €50 million annually on smaller-scale projects to improve facilities across its network. Meanwhile, €150 million from the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund is being used to modernise runways and taxiways, enhancing safety and efficiency. Works are also planned in Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and Chania to boost capacity once air traffic management issues are eased.
With August alone seeing a 4% rise in regional traffic — reaching 6.78 million passengers — momentum across Greece’s airports looks set to continue. Looking ahead, Fraport AG, the parent company, has signalled potential interest in the upcoming tender for 22 additional regional airports currently under state management.
