AEGEAN Sees 26% Passenger Increase in 2023, Flies 15.5 Million
Greek airline company AEGEAN recorded another year of growth, welcoming 3.2 million more passengers in 2023 compared to the previous year – an increase of 26 percent to 15.5 million passengers.
According to data released on Thursday, the company reached a new record high in 2023, offering 18.5 million available seats – 3.1 million more seats compared to 2022.
In particular, AEGEAN offered 11.1 million seats on its international network, 2.2 million more than in 2022. The company welcomed 9.2 million passengers, 29 percent higher compared to 2022.
Domestic passenger traffic increased by 22 percent and according to AEGEAN this was due to increased connectivity of the islands via Athens; the expansion of the company’s international network; and the strong recovery in the Greek economy.
Smaller regional destinations, such as Sitia, Skyros, Naxos, Limnos recorded strong growth dynamics, adding to the positive results. Load factor stood at 83.4 percent from 79.4 percent in 2022.
Last year AEGEAN expanded its network, exceeding 180 destinations in 49 countries with 307 routes operated with 76 aircraft. The company added more than 30 new international destinations in the summer season, as well as in the winter and increased capacity with more than 2.2 million international seats compared to 2022 and 800,000 more than 2019.
New destinations such as Dubai, Innsbruck and Bratislava, as well as maintaining specific summer routes (from Athens to Bristol, Malaga, Bilbao, Tallinn, Riga, Tunisia, but also to Barcelona from Thessaloniki) during the winter season, resulted in an increase in ASKs (available seat per kilometres) by 23 percent compared to 2022, thus offering 20 billion ASKs in 2023.
Athens & Thessaloniki
AEGEAN passenger traffic to and from Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” reached 13 million, setting another new record with an increase of 27 percent compared to 2022 and once again being the main growth driver for the country’s largest airport. Passenger traffic on the domestic network reached 5.7 million, an increase of 22 percent compared to the previous year, while passenger traffic on the international network also increased by 32 percent, carrying 7.2 million passengers.
Passenger traffic to/and from Thessaloniki “Makedonia” Airport also increased by 28 percent, with passenger traffic on the international network reaching a 33 percent increase compared to 2022, as a result of the company’s continuous investment with additional capacity and new international routes throughout the year.
“2023 was another good year for AEGEAN and Greek tourism,” AEGEAN CEO Dimitris Gerogiannis said. “We will continue to work consistently to offer more choices to our passengers, to improve travel experience, but also to spread the tourism product, so that the company’s and the country’s dynamic pace is maintained in the new year, despite the challenges.”
In 2023 AEGEAN had nine new Airbus 320/321 neo aircraft deliveries.