Athens International Airport Celebrates 25 Years by Honoring Top-Performing Airlines of 2025
Athens, Greece, May 14, 2026 – Athens International Airport (AIA) marked its 25th anniversary by hosting its 2.5 Airline Marketing Workshop, where it honored airlines that demonstrated exceptional growth in 2025. The ceremony recognized carriers achieving significant growth rates and increased passenger traffic on their scheduled services to and from Athens.
A Quarter-Century of Partnership and Growth
The annual event, themed “25 Years Routing for You,” brought together over 250 representatives from the airline, tourism, and aviation sectors in Greece. This gathering underscored the enduring collaboration between Athens Airport and its airline partners.
Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director Communications & Marketing at AIA, emphasized the dual significance of the awards. “Every year, the Airline Awards honor the best-performing airlines of the previous year. This year, however, they were also an opportunity to look back on the 25-year shared journey of the Airport and its airline partners,” she stated.
AIA CEO George Kallimasias further elaborated, noting that the awards acknowledged not only the airlines’ 2025 performance but also the “duration, stability and continuity” of the airport’s partnerships with carriers operating in Athens.
AIA Awards for Strongest Growth in 2025
The prestigious awards for 2025 were presented across various categories, recognizing diverse market segments:
- Fastest growth in the domestic market: SKY express (Highly commended: AEGEAN)
- Fastest growth in the Western European market: Cyprus Airways (Highly commended: Eurowings, SAS)
- Fastest growth in the Eastern European market: SKY express (Highly commended: Wizz Air, Ryanair)
- Fastest growth in the Middle Eastern market: AEGEAN (Highly commended: Arkia, Etihad Airways)
- Fastest growth in the African market: AEGEAN (Highly commended: Ethiopian Airlines, EGYPTAIR)
- Fastest growth in the Asian market: Juneyao Air (Highly commended: Air China, Scoot)
- Fastest growth in the American market: Emirates
- Fastest growth on a seasonal route in the European market: Croatia Airlines (Highly commended: airBaltic)
- Fastest growth on a seasonal route in the American market: United Airlines (Highly commended: American Airlines, Air Canada)
- Best New Entrant Performance Award: Air Arabia
- Best of the Top 10 Airlines Award for 2025: easyJet
- Overall Traffic Performance in 2025: AEGEAN (Highly commended: SKY express)
MONUMENTA Recognized for Cultural Heritage Preservation
A special highlight of the evening was the presentation of the “You’re an Aθenian, too” award to MONUMENTA. This civil non-profit organization was honored for its significant contributions to safeguarding the natural and architectural heritage of Greece and Cyprus, particularly its efforts in preserving the memory, identity, and cultural continuity of Athens. Archaeologist Eirini Gratsia accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
The award’s name draws inspiration from Athens International Airport’s successful “Aθenian” trilogy, an international campaign that promoted Athens to global travelers, inviting them to experience the city and feel like true citizens.
The Importance of Enduring Partnerships
During the awards ceremony, AIA Chairman Michail Kefalogiannis underscored the vital role of long-term cooperation between the airport and its airline partners. “The development of an airport is never the result of a single, isolated effort. It is the result of stable partnerships, shared strategy and trust,” Kefalogiannis stated, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that drives the airport’s success.
Source: https://news.gtp.gr/2026/05/14/athens-airport-honors-airlines-for-top-growth-performance-in-2025/
