International passenger traffic at the 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece rose by 6.2% in the Jan-Aug. period, reaching 20,397,126 passengers compared to 19,202,479 in the same period in 2023, with Rhodes accounting for 20% of the total international air traffic among the 14 airports.
Including the 5,247,519 passengers on domestic flights, experiencing a 7.0% increase, the 14 airports handled a total of 25.64 million passengers, marking a 6.4% rise compared to the same period last year.
Aug. also saw growth, with international passengers reaching 5,621,561, up from 5,291,774 in Aug. 2023.
Rhodes emerged as the big winner in international arrivals among Fraport Greece airports, recording a 17.7% increase in Aug. and surpassing the one million mark with 1,162,084 passengers. Over the eight-month period, Rhodes handled 4,293,436 international passengers, up from 3,751,634 during the same period in 2023, representing a 14.4% increase.
Despite lower overall volumes, the airport in Mytilene (Lesvos) registered the highest annual percentage increase, with total traffic rising by 15% to 396,718 passengers, up from 344,955 in the eight-month period of 2023. International traffic surged by 45.9%, reaching 135,387 passengers.
Conversely, among the popular island destinations, Mykonos was the only airport to report a decline, with a total of 1,242,732 passengers over the eight months compared to 1,259,032 in the same period last year, marking a decrease of 1.3%. International traffic fell by 3.2% compared to last year, while domestic traffic increased by 3.1%.
Santorini, on the other hand, ended the eight-month period with a 3.6% increase in total domestic and international traffic, reaching 2,055,372 passengers. International passengers reached 1,146,696, up from 1,136,615, while domestic passengers rose of 7.4%.
The increase in domestic passengers in Mykonos and Santorini is partly attributed to foreign travelers making a stop in Athens before heading to these islands.
Among mainland airports, Kavala, in Northern Greece, recorded a decline in passenger traffic, the only smaller-volume airport to do so, with a decrease of 5.8% over the eight months period.
The leading foreign markets in Aug. for the 14 regional airports were the United Kingdom with 1.37 million passengers followed by Germany, Italy, Poland, and France.
Source: tovima.com
