Greek airports saw a 4.8% increase in international air arrivals during the January–March 2025 period, with a total of 1.6 million visitors landing in the country, according to a report by the Greek Tourism Confederation Institute (INSETE).
This represents an increase of 77,000 travelers compared to the same quarter in 2024.
The Greek capital experienced the largest growth, with Athens International Airport (AIA) receiving 73% of these visitors, followed by 24% at Thessaloniki Airport, and just 3% across all other regional airports.
In January, arrivals at Greek Airports reached 529,000, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 44,000, or 9.1%.
February followed with 487,000 arrivals, up by 25,000 or 5.5%. March saw a more modest rise, with 663,000 arrivals — an increase of 7,000 or 1.0%.
Athens International Airport handled 1.2 million international arrivals during the first quarter, an increase of 68,000 or 5.9%.
Thessaloniki Airport recorded 404,000 arrivals, rising by 33,000 or 8.9%.
In contrast, many regional airports saw notable declines. Heraklion reported 17,000 international arrivals, down 8,000 or 33.2%, while Chania recorded 6,000, a drop of 3,000 or 32.0%. Rhodes had 13,000 arrivals, down by 6,000 or 32.9%, and Kos registered just 146 arrivals — a sharp decline of 837 or 85.1%.
Other regional destinations also faced decreases. Corfu welcomed 3,000 international visitors, a drop of 5,000 or 61.7%. Santorini recorded 785 arrivals, down by 983 or 55.6%. Kalamata Airport reported 2,000 arrivals, a decline of 557 or 22.7%.
The data highlights a growing concentration of international air traffic in Athens and Thessaloniki, while regional airports continue to struggle with significant off-season drops in visitor numbers.