Athens International Airport awarded the airlines with the best performance for 2024 during the 2.4 Airline Marketing Workshop - its flagship annual event - that took place on March 13th, 2025

This year’s central theme revolved around the triptych: “Thesis – Antithesis – Synthesis”. From Thesis, where a new idea or strategy takes shape, to Antithesis, where challenges and alternative perspectives put it to the test, and finally to Synthesis, where different forces come together to create new equilibriums, the 2.4 Workshop highlighted the power of collaboration, the exchange of ideas, and adaptability in the ever-evolving universe of aviation and tourism.

Moreover, this year, the theme was further expanded to connect with “Cosmos – The Universe”, emphasizing that, just as in nature, elements—from the smallest to the largest—coexist in a constant state of harmony and interaction, so too in aviation, the synthesis of diverse forces is part of a dynamic, dialectical, and harmonious “Aviation Universe.”

The special annual award “You’re An AΘenian, too!” was presented to Olivier Jankovec, Director General, Airports Council International – EUROPE (ACI EUROPE) in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the European airport sector, his emphasis on innovation and sustainability, and his strong ties with Greece—especially Athens.

A standout moment of the Workshop was the speech delivered by the legendary referee Pierluigi Collina, the iconic “Referee of the Stars,” who shared invaluable insights on the importance of preparation and the right perspective in making fair and sound decisions.

Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director, Communications & Marketing, stated: “At this year’s 2.4 Workshop, we delved through our “airport dialogues” into the way ideas are born, challenged, and “synthesized” in a process of continuous evolution. The aviation and tourism ‘universe’ is shaped precisely through this dynamic interplay of Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis.

Once again, we had the privilege of hosting top-tier representatives from the aviation, travel, and tourism industries, as well as experts in research, airport architecture, innovation, and sustainability. And of course, a true highlight of this year’s event was the presence of the legendary Pierluigi Collina!

Furthermore, in a symbolic gesture through the global Star Register service, three stars in the night sky now bear the names of this year’s theme—Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis—representing our unwavering pursuit of balance, harmony, and innovation in our shared journey with our airline partners.

The future of our airport and Athens itself is built upon contrasting perspectives, with the goal of fostering meaningful and constructive collaborations.

We extend our gratitude to all those who participated and made this year’s Workshop a true journey into knowledge, innovation, and the future of aviation and tourism!”

 

The Workshop was concluded with the annual Athens International Airport Awards’ Ceremony , presenting awards to the airlines with the most successful performance in 2024. Athens International Airport once again awarded the airlines that recorded the fastest growth during the previous year, recording significant growth rates and increased passenger traffic on their scheduled services to and from Athens.

The airlines’ awards for the 2024 performance, were:

•        Fastest Growing Airline in the Domestic Market

Winner: AEGEAN

Highly Commended: SKY express

 •        Fastest Growing Airline in Western Europe

Winner: easyJet

Highly Commended: Ryanair

•        Fastest Growing Airline in Eastern Europe

Winner: SKY express

Highly Commended: Ryanair

•        Fastest Growing Airline in the Middle East

Winner: Israir Airlines

Highly Commended: Arkia

•        Fastest Growing Airline in Africa

Winner: EGYPTAIR

•        Fastest Growing Airline in Asia

Winner: Air China

•        Fastest Growing Airline in America

Winner: Emirates

•        Fastest Growing Airline on a seasonal route / Europe

Winner: airBaltic

Highly Commended: Brussels Airlines

 •        Fastest Growing Airline on a seasonal route / America

Winner: United Airlines

Highly Commended: Delta Air Lines

•        “Best of the Top 10 Airlines” Award for 2024

Winner: easyJet 

•        Fastest Growing Airline – Thin Route

Winner: AEGEAN 

•        Best New Entrant Performance

Winner: LOT Polish Airlines.

•        Overall Traffic Performance Award for 2024

Winner: AEGEAN

Highly Commended: SKY express

The Athens International Airport Communications and Marketing team