HCAA reports robust 8.5% rise in passenger numbers in early 2026

According to official statistics from the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), a total of 2,946,699 passengers (arrivals and departures, both domestic and international) were handled in the January–May 2026 period, compared with 2,715,790 passengers in the same period of 2025, representing an increase of 8.5%.

The positive trend was also reflected in May’s figures, with passenger traffic across the 24 HCAA airports rising by 8% year-on-year. The leading performer was Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis,” which served the highest number of passengers among HCAA airports and recorded a new monthly record in passenger traffic. Specifically, in May it handled 1,139,079 passengers, an increase of 8.1% compared with 1,054,181 passengers in the same month of 2025.

A positive picture is also evident at the national level. Across the 39 airports where commercial flights operate—including the 24 HCAA-managed airports, the 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece, and Athens International Airport—passenger traffic increased by 5.7% in the first five months of the year.

In total, passenger numbers reached 23,076,532, compared with 21,837,473 in the corresponding period of 2025, confirming sustained strong demand for air travel to and from Greece.

Aircraft movements also followed an upward trend. Flight operations (arrivals and departures, domestic and international) across the country’s 39 airports increased by 4.8% year-on-year, reaching 186,119 flights, compared with 177,573 in the same five-month period of 2025.

The HCAA data indicate that the current tourism season has begun on a positive note, while the increased passenger traffic strengthens expectations for new record levels of arrivals and revenue in the tourism and aviation sectors throughout 2026.