AEGEAN increases business in Turkey by 50%

Aegean Airlines carried over 12.5 million passengers in the first nine months of 2024, marking a 5 per cent increase compared to the previous year, the company said in a statement on Wednesday

The airline also recorded high passenger traffic in Q3, transporting more than 5.3 million passengers, indicating its steady growth, it added.

In line with this trend, AEGEAN offered over 6.3 million seats during Q3—up by 2 per cent from last year—bringing the total seats for the first nine months of 2024 to over 15.2 million, a 6 per cent year-on-year increase.

Regarding passenger trends, domestic traffic in Q3 rose by 6 per cent, while international passenger traffic saw a slight decrease of 3 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.

This decrease is mainly attributed reduced operations in Israel and the Middle East (Beirut, Amman) as a result the war; there was also a significant reduction in charter activity to manage aircraft availability.

AEGEAN’s domestic growth continues to be driven by increased feeder traffic to and from major European long-haul hubs (such as Frankfurt, London, Istanbul, and Dubai), routed mainly through Athens and Thessaloniki, where international passenger traffic grew by 3 per cent.

It is also worth noting that AEGEAN has nearly doubled direct domestic connections from Thessaloniki to 15 destinations across Greece, further expanding its domestic reach compared to last year.

Looking ahead to Q4, AEGEAN is aiming to offset seasonal dips by offering 4.5 million more seats than last year, a 7 per cent increase. This includes ramping up operations in key markets, with added daily flights to and from London (Heathrow), Turkey (Istanbul), and Cyprus (Athens and up to four weekly flights to/from Thessaloniki).

AEGEAN is also expanding its reach in the Balkans, with additional flights to Albania, Serbia, Moldova, and Bulgaria, and further strengthening its presence in the UAE with a new route to Abu Dhabi, set to launch on October 27.

As part of its ongoing expansion in Turkey, AEGEAN will increase flight frequencies on existing routes from Athens to Istanbul and Izmir to four daily flights starting from this month, and to five weekly flights starting with the summer schedule of 2025.

Furthermore, new direct flights from Heraklion, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Santorini to Istanbul will be introduced, the airline said.

From April 2025 through the summer season, Heraklion and Santorini will be connected to Istanbul with two weekly flights, increasing to four during peak season. Direct flights from Mykonos and Rhodes to Istanbul will commence from June 2025, with two weekly flights each.

Already, AEGEAN has seen a 50 per cent increase in both activity and passenger traffic within the Turkish market for 2024. By the end of the year, the airline expects to welcome over 400,000 passengers in this market alone, offering more than half a million seats and enhancing connectivity options in the region.