American Airlines Launches First Direct Athens-Dallas Flights
Athens, Greece – May 22, 2026 – American Airlines has inaugurated the first-ever direct connection between Athens and Dallas-Fort Worth, significantly enhancing air connectivity between the United States and Greece. This new seasonal route, which commenced on May 22, marks American Airlines’ fifth direct US connection from Athens, complementing existing services to New York (JFK), Chicago, Philadelphia, and Charlotte.
Expanding US-Greece Air Connectivity
The launch event at Athens International Airport (AIA) highlighted the growing momentum of the US market for Athens. Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing at AIA, described American Airlines as an “absolute success story” for Athens and Greece. She emphasized that this new route represents the first direct connection between Greece and Texas, specifically between Athens and Dallas, solidifying American Airlines’ position as operating the largest seasonal US network from Athens.
According to Ms. Papadopoulou, passenger traffic on American Airlines flights saw a 28 percent increase in 2025 compared to 2024, with volumes more than doubling compared to pre-pandemic levels. She further noted that the US was Athens Airport’s top international market in 2025, recording approximately 1.18 million passengers and a 12 percent annual growth.
Route Details and Enhanced Connectivity
The new Athens-Dallas route will operate daily through September 8, 2026, utilizing Boeing 777-200 and 777-300 aircraft. Flights will depart Dallas-Fort Worth at 3:40 p.m. and arrive in Athens at 11:45 a.m. the following day. The return flights will depart Athens at 2 p.m., arriving in Dallas at 6:55 p.m. local time. With the addition of Dallas, American Airlines will operate up to 35 weekly flights to and from Athens during the peak summer season.
Sophia Philis Ortiz, VP – Phoenix Operations at American Airlines, highlighted that Dallas-Fort Worth serves as American Airlines’ largest global hub, offering over 930 daily departures to more than 230 destinations across 30 countries. This expansion will significantly enhance onward connectivity from Athens to various destinations across the United States, Mexico, and Latin America.
“We’re thrilled to introduce our very first flight from Athens to America’s largest hub, Dallas-Fort Worth,” said Ms. Ortiz. She added that this service brings the regions closer and reflects American Airlines’ continued commitment to Greece, fostering tourism, business, and economic exchange between the two countries. Ms. Ortiz, a proud Greek-American, also noted Athens’ growing appeal to US travelers seeking authentic cultural and hospitality experiences.
Strategic Importance of the US Market for Greek Tourism
Andreas Fiorentinos, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), underscored the strategic importance of the American market for Greek tourism. He identified US travelers as among the country’s highest-spending visitors.
“The statistics show that there’s so much more potential for growth,” Fiorentinos stated, highlighting that Greece currently welcomes over 40 million visitors annually and generates approximately 23.6 billion euros in tourism revenue. He also mentioned that Greece now receives around 105 weekly flights from the United States, transporting more than 1.5 million passengers annually.
“The US customer is our primary goal. They are the biggest spenders from all the countries that visit Greece,” Fiorentinos affirmed. Bank of Greece data indicates that American travelers spent an average of 1,066 euros per trip in 2025, an increase of 85 euros compared to 2024. Passenger traffic from the US to Athens also rose by another 10 percent during the January-April 2026 period compared to the same period a year earlier.
Source: Greek Travel Pages (GTP), Athens International Airport (AIA), Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO)
