AEGEAN transported over 12.5 million passengers in the first nine months of 2024, marking a 5% increase compared to last year, with more than 5.3 million passengers carried in the third quarter, maintaining consistently high traffic levels. The airline also expanded its capacity, offering over 6.3 million seats in Q3 (+2% YoY), with total available seats for the nine-month period surpassing 15.2 million, a 6% rise from the same period in 2023.
+3% international passengers in Q3 in Athens and Thessaloniki
Increased capacity to England, Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkans, and Saudi Arabia in Q4
New direct flights from Heraklion, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Santorini to Istanbul in 2025
AEGEAN’s passenger traffic exceeded 12.5 million in the first nine months of 2024, marking a 5% increase compared to the previous year, while the airline transported over 5.3 million passengers in the third quarter, maintaining consistently high traffic levels. During Q3, the company continued to grow, offering more than 6.3 million seats (+2% compared to last year), with total available seats for the nine-month period in 2024 surpassing 15.2 million, an increase of 6% compared to the same period last year.
Specifically, in Q3, domestic passenger traffic recorded a steady upward trend, with a 6% increase, while international traffic saw a slight decrease of 3% compared to the same period in 2023. This decline was primarily reflected in reduced activity in Israel and the broader Middle East (Beirut, Amman), as well as significant restrictions in charter flight activities chosen to address aircraft availability constraints. Furthermore, the growth of the domestic network continues to be fueled by increasing traffic to/from major European long-haul hubs (Frankfurt, London, Istanbul, Dubai), mainly through Athens but also Thessaloniki, which recorded a 3% increase in international traffic. It is also worth noting that direct domestic connections from Thessaloniki to the regional areas of the country, where AEGEAN now operates flights to and from 15 destinations in Greece, have nearly doubled compared to last year.
For Q4, aiming to mitigate seasonality and extend the tourist season, AEGEAN is offering 4.5 million more seats than last year (+7%) by increasing flights to/from London (an additional daily flight to Heathrow), Turkey (another daily flight to/from Istanbul), Cyprus (an additional daily flight from Athens and up to four weekly flights from Thessaloniki), the Balkans (more flights to Albania, Serbia, Moldova, Bulgaria), and the UAE, with a new route to Abu Dhabi starting on October 27.
Additionally, as part of its strategy to expand in the Turkish market, AEGEAN is boosting its existing routes from Athens to Istanbul and Izmir to four daily flights starting October 2024 and five weekly flights respectively from the summer 2025 schedule. The airline will also introduce new direct flights from Heraklion, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Santorini to Istanbul in 2025. Specifically, from April 2025 and throughout the summer season, Heraklion and Santorini will connect to Istanbul with two weekly flights, increasing to four during peak season, while direct flights between Mykonos, Rhodes, and Istanbul will start in June 2025 with two weekly services. AEGEAN has seen a 50% increase in both activity and passenger traffic in the Turkish market for 2024, with over 400,000 passengers expected by year-end and more than half a million seats offered, further strengthening its presence in the region and significantly expanding passenger options.
