HONG KONG—The arrival of Airbus A321XLR aircraft is reshaping Athens International Airport’s (ATH) strategy, enabling direct access to previously underserved long-haul markets such as India and paving the way for further expansion across Asia, Africa and South America.
Ioanna Papadopoulou, director of communications and marketing at ATH, says the launch of India routes reflects rising demand and the transformative potential of long-range narrowbodies. IndiGo will begin service to Athens in early 2026, while Aegean plans to connect New Delhi and Mumbai in March and May, respectively—both carriers deploying the A321XLR to make the nonstop flights viable.
“The XLR opens up ambitious growth opportunities across both Africa and Asia,” Papadopoulou tells Routes, adding that Seoul, Hong Kong, more Chinese cities and the return of Bangkok remain priority targets in Asia.
“Direct links to these financial and tourism powerhouses will generate not only leisure traffic but also high-yield business flows, fully aligned with Greece’s growing economic and tourism profile,” Papadopoulou explains.
Additionally, Africa and South America are also on the agenda. Athens sees potential for Sub-Saharan services, particularly to South Africa, given the sizable Greek community there. South America is also “emerging as a region to focus on” as the airport seeks to diversify its long-haul mix. Miami, Houston, Seattle and San Francisco are among U.S. prospects.
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The route ambitions build on strong momentum. ATH topped ACI Europe’s 2024 connectivity rankings and served 22.7 million passengers in the first eight months of 2025, up 6.8% year on year and 32% above pre-pandemic levels.
U.S. routes remain a core growth driver, with Athens seeing flights from nine destinations this summer. Service to the U.S. has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 46 weekly to 103 in 2025. Key additions this year included American Airlines’ Charlotte service and Norse Atlantic’s launch of Los Angeles. American also plans to open a daily Dallas-Fort Worth route in May 2026.
Overall, 14 new routes and five new airlines have joined the portfolio in 2025, including Sichuan Airlines from Chengdu and Air Haifa from Israel. Greek carrier Aegean has launched services to Erbil, Baku and Luxor, while Sky Express is adding six new international destinations in October, including Madrid and Lisbon.
The challenge now is capacity. ATH has embarked on a €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) expansion program to boost annual capacity to 40 million passengers by 2032. The plan includes terminal extensions, new stands and boarding bridges, parking and retail upgrades, and expanded apron space.
Athens is also positioning itself as a leader in sustainability. In December, the airport will celebrate completion of its “Route 2025” initiative, achieving net-zero carbon emissions through on-site solar energy production and storage. “Our network is wider, more global and more dynamic than ever,” Papadopoulou says. “The focus now is on ensuring Athens remains a strong, sustainable hub that can meet future demand.”
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