Athens Airport Expands Route Network as China-Greece Cooperation Reaches New Heights

• 2 June, 25

As the 2025 peak tourism season approaches, Athens International Airport is witnessing significant growth in both international connectivity and passenger capacity. The airport has welcomed five new international airlines—including China’s Sichuan Airlines—further solidifying its strategic role as a regional aviation hub. In addition, Athens and the Chinese city of Shanghai have officially signed a three-year tourism cooperation memorandum, marking a new chapter in China-Greece collaboration in cultural exchange and sustainable tourism.

Five New Airlines Boost Athens’ Route Network

According to Greek media reports, five international airlines will officially join Athens International Airport’s route network in the summer of 2025: Spain’s World2Fly, Israel’s Air Haifa, Air Albania, Ukraine’s SkyUp Airlines, and China’s Sichuan Airlines. The entry of these carriers further strengthens Athens’ air links with Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Notably, Sichuan Airlines will launch a direct route between Chengdu and Athens on June 30. This will make it the third Chinese airline—after Air China and Juneyao Airlines—to operate China-Greece routes, offering more convenient travel and trade options for passengers from China’s central and western regions.

Passenger and Flight Numbers Climb, Athens Airport Maintains Strong Momentum

As the 2025 tourism season nears, Athens International Airport (AIA) continues to post strong growth in both passenger traffic and flight frequency. According to the latest official data released by AIA:

• Passenger Traffic in April 2025: The airport handled 2.71 million passengers in April, marking a 9% year-on-year increase and underscoring the continued recovery of the tourism market.
  • International passengers: up 10% year-on-year
  • Domestic passengers: up 6.6% year-on-year
• Passenger Traffic for January–April 2025: The airport received a total of 8.52 million passengers during the first four months of 2025, a significant 10.6% year-on-year increase.
  • International passengers: surged by 13.3%, the main driver of overall growth
  • Domestic passengers: up 4.1% year-on-year
• Flight Movements (January–April 2025): Flight activity also saw a steady increase, reflecting the expansion of the route network and growing market demand.
  • Total flights: 73,151 takeoffs and landings, up 8.5% year-on-year
  • International flights: up 13.2%
  • Domestic flights: modest increase of 1.3%

China-Greece Tourism Cooperation Upgraded: Athens and Shanghai Sign 3-Year Agreement

On May 19, the Athens Municipal Government signed a three-year tourism cooperation memorandum with China’s Shanghai Jiushi Tourism (Group) Co., Ltd., officially launching deeper cooperation in urban management, cultural tourism, and sustainable development. The agreement aims to boost the global appeal of both cities through knowledge sharing, joint cultural tourism initiatives, and the promotion of innovative tourism products.

Key areas of collaboration include promoting cultural tourism, integrating urban and tourism services, exchanging best practices, and exploring strategies for climate resilience and urban sustainability.

China-Greece Collaboration Reshapes Southeastern Europe’s Tourism Landscape

With its expanding air network, rising passenger numbers, and deepening city-to-city tourism partnerships, Athens is entering a new phase of development. As it strengthens connections across Europe and the Middle East while expanding into Asia, Athens International Airport—together with Greece’s tourism sector—is gearing up for the summer 2025 travel boom. This also opens up promising new prospects for China-Greece cooperation in cultural exchange and sustainable growth.

Cre: 希中网, news.gtp.gr