
Crete tops passenger traffic as Greek airports see 6.5% increase
Traffic at the 24 Greek airports managed by the Civil Aviation Authority - including Heraklion, Kalamata, Alexandroupoli, Limnos, Astypalaia, Ioannina, Chios, Kozani, Kastoria, Karpathos, Kythira, Milos, Skyros, Nea Anchialos, Paros, Syros, Araxos, Naxos, Kalymnos, Ikaria, Kastelorizo, Kasos, Leros, and Sitia - increased by 6.5 per cent in the first seven months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
According to official statistics, the total number of passengers (including both domestic and international arrivals and departures) reached 6,633,785 between January and July 2025, up from 6,230,363 during the same period in 2024.
Which Greek airports saw the biggest growth?
Heraklion Crete State Airport served 1,693,791 passengers in July 2025, marking a 4.7 per cent increase compared to the same month in 2024.
At the same time, the largest percentage increases in passenger traffic among Civil Aviation Authority-managed airports in July 2025 were recorded at Syros Airport, which saw an increase of 125.5 per cent (3,781 passengers in 2025, compared to 1,677 in 2024), Nea Anchialos Airport, with a 12.4 per cent rise (7,379 passengers in 2025, compared to 6,566 in 2024), and Astypalaia Airport, which experienced a 10.9 per cent increase (5,455 passengers in 2025, compared to 4,919 in 2024).
Passenger traffic up by 4.7 per cent at 39 Greek airports
Passenger traffic across all 39 airports in Greece with commercial flights (including 24 managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, 14 by Fraport Greece, and Athens International Airport) increased by 4.7 per cent in the seven months from January to July 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Specifically, passenger numbers reached 44,729,111, up from 42,713,766 during January–July 2024.
As for aircraft movements, covering both domestic and international arrivals and departures, at these 39 airports, where the Civil Aviation Authority primarily oversees air traffic control, there was a 3.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year. In total, 342,828 flights were recorded between January and July 2025, compared to 330,932 flights during the same period in 2024.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Crete tops passenger traffic as Greek airports see 6.5% increase
Passenger numbers are on the rise in Greece, as new data shows a 4.7 per cent increase in traffic at the country's 39 commercial airports from January to July this year. The figures reflect a continued appetite for Greek getaways, from quiet island airstrips to bustling tourist hubs. Traffic at the 24 Greek airports managed by the Civil Aviation Authority - including Heraklion, Kalamata, Alexandroupoli, Limnos, Astypalaia, Ioannina, Chios, Kozani, Kastoria, Karpathos, Kythira, Milos, Skyros, Nea Anchialos, Paros, Syros, Araxos, Naxos, Kalymnos, Ikaria, Kastelorizo, Kasos, Leros, and Sitia - increased by 6.5 per cent in the first seven months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. According to official statistics, the total number of passengers (including both domestic and international arrivals and departures) reached 6,633,785 between January and July 2025, up from 6,230,363 during the same period in 2024. Which Greek airports saw the biggest growth? Heraklion Crete State Airport served 1,693,791 passengers in July 2025, marking a 4.7 per cent increase compared to the same month in 2024. At the same time, the largest percentage increases in passenger traffic among Civil Aviation Authority-managed airports in July 2025 were recorded at Syros Airport, which saw an increase of 125.5 per cent (3,781 passengers in 2025, compared to 1,677 in 2024), Nea Anchialos Airport, with a 12.4 per cent rise (7,379 passengers in 2025, compared to 6,566 in 2024), and Astypalaia Airport, which experienced a 10.9 per cent increase (5,455 passengers in 2025, compared to 4,919 in 2024). Passenger traffic up by 4.7 per cent at 39 Greek airports Passenger traffic across all 39 airports in Greece with commercial flights (including 24 managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, 14 by Fraport Greece, and Athens International Airport) increased by 4.7 per cent in the seven months from January to July 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Specifically, passenger numbers reached 44,729,111, up from 42,713,766 during January–July 2024. As for aircraft movements, covering both domestic and international arrivals and departures, at these 39 airports, where the Civil Aviation Authority primarily oversees air traffic control, there was a 3.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year. In total, 342,828 flights were recorded between January and July 2025, compared to 330,932 flights during the same period in 2024.


Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Greek police block protesters from approaching Israeli cruise ship
Riot police at Greece's largest port cordoned off an area around an Israeli cruise ship that arrived early on Thursday to prevent several hundred protesters from approaching the vessel. Protests have been held at Greek islands and mainland ports along the route of the Crown Iris, several of which have led to clashes with police. At the port of Piraeus near Athens demonstrators held flares and waved Palestinian flags behind a cordon formed with riot police buses. Protest organisers, citing online posts from travellers, said off-duty Israeli soldiers were among the passengers. "They are unwanted here and have no business being here," protest organiser Markos Bekris said. "The blood of innocent people is on their hands and we should not welcome them." Greece is a popular holiday destination for Israelis. But the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and global attention about the widespread destruction and severe food shortages have triggered hundreds of anti-Israel protests in Athens and other Greek cities, as well as a political confrontation. Left-wing opposition parties are calling on the conservative government to halt commercial and broad military cooperation with Israel. Demonstrations against Israel's military offensive in Gaza erupted in the city of Volos on Wednesday after the Crown Iris docked there. Local communities unfurled huge Palestinian flags and chanted pro-Palestine slogans as Israeli tourists disembarked from the cruise ship. Last month, the Crown Iris left the Greek island of Syros early without its passengers disembarking after more than 150 protesters demonstrated at the island's port. There have been similar protests at other stops on the Crown Iris' route such as in Rhodes and Crete. However, not all Greeks are on board with the demonstrations, including the country's Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. "We owe an apology to these friends of Greece who chose to spend their holidays here and were forcibly denied it by some," he wrote on X last month following the incident in Syros. "Our country remains hospitable to all and antisemitism has no place here!"


Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Wildfire across Europe kill at least two and cause widespread damage
Wildfires across southern Europe continue to cause massive damage and threaten the evacuation of thousands as a heatwave scorches parts of the continent. In Greece, firefighters are battling to control wildfires on the outskirts of the nation's third largest city, Patras. Seven major wildfires forced multiple evacuations, destroying homes and businesses. The local civil protection service issued more than 20 mobile phone alerts due to the fire. High winds hindered firefighting efforts on nearby islands, where authorities were on standby to evacuate tourist resorts. Other severe fires burned in the western part of the Greek mainland as well as on the island of Chios. In Albania, wildfires burned forests, houses and killed at least one person. Several villages were evacuated as the fires continue to affect parts of the country. Around thirty wildfires are endangering residents and burning forest areas, according to authorities. An 80-year-old man was reportedly killed by a fire in the Gramsh district, approximately 80km from the capital city of Tirana. Around 1,000 firefighters, army personnel and local staff were mobilised to fight the flames, according to Albanian officials. Wildfires on the Iberian Peninsula In Spain, thousands are facing evacuation orders as wildfires burn across the Iberian Peninsula. Firefighters have largely contained a blaze outside Madrid that broke out Monday night. That fire killed a man, led to dozens being evacuated and affected over 10 square kilometres of land. Several people have been arrested by Spanish officials as the alleged perpetrators of fires that broke out. The heatwave in the region is expected to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius in some areas. In Portugal, emergency services are battling a series of wildfires amid another heatwave. Authorities said three major fires that started over the weekend were of concern. Around 2,000 firefighters are on the ground to try to tackle the flames, with more than 700 working to control a fire in Trancoso. An extreme weather alert was extended until Friday throughout mainland Portugal. Italian firefighters are tackling a wildfire on mount Vesuvius, where fires have been blazing since Friday. Planes dropped water over the flames hundreds of times to contain the wildfire. Europe is warming faster than any other continent, according to the EU Copernicus Institute, and wildfires have massively impacted the continent over the summer.