Athens International Airport handles nearly 20M passengers in first seven months

According to the airport’s preliminary data, total passenger traffic in July reached 3.93 million passengers, representing an increase of 4.7% compared with the same month in 2025. The increase was mainly driven by international traffic, where passenger numbers rose by 5.3% to 2.79 million, while domestic passenger traffic increased by 3.4% to 1.14 million.

The positive trend is also reflected in the seven-month figures. From January to July, AIA served a total of 19.68 million passengers, compared with 18.83 million in the corresponding period of 2025, marking an increase of 4.5%. Domestic passenger traffic reached 5.6 million passengers (+4.7%), while the international market remained the main growth driver, with 14.08 million passengers and an increase of 4.4%.

Aircraft activity also recorded growth. Aircraft movements totalled 32,842 in July, up 3.7% year-on-year, while during the first seven months of the year, 165,771 flights were recorded, representing an increase of 3.8% compared with the same period last year. Domestic flights increased by 4.7%, while international flights rose by 3.3%.

The continued increase in passenger traffic is also placing additional pressure on the airport’s existing infrastructure.

Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” was designed for an annual capacity of approximately 26 million passengers. However, demand has significantly exceeded this level in recent years, making it necessary to accelerate the largest investment programme since the airport began operations in 2001.

In this context, the new Airport Expansion Programme (AEP) is underway, with a total budget of approximately €1.3 billion, aiming to increase annual capacity to 40 million passengers by 2032. The plan includes the expansion of the Main Terminal and Satellite Terminal by approximately 150,000 square metres, the construction of a new multi-storey car park, additional aircraft parking stands and supporting infrastructure, as well as major upgrades to commercial areas, baggage handling systems and passenger service facilities.

Works have already commenced on individual projects, including the new multi-storey car park and the expansion of the northwestern aircraft parking area. During the second half of 2026, the award of the main construction contract for the expansion of the two terminal buildings is expected. AIA management estimates that the programme will be implemented without disrupting airport operations, as the interventions have been designed to proceed alongside the airport’s daily passenger services.