NAMASTE!!! Will 2026 be the Year of India for Athens, or what???

One more target, accomplished! Back in 2019, Athens International Airport set its  priority in key targets to drive growth for Athens, even further. The key priorities focused on 3 main directions (a) enhancing the Long-Haul network, (b) extending seasonality and (c) strengthening the offering of lower fares in the Athens market, aiming to boost demand for travel. As a result, the airport award winning incentives scheme was redesigned and the long-term development plan, empathized on the key priorities.

The Indian market was high in the potential Long-Haul list and consistent efforts started in establishing a direct connection. Athens International Airport Airline development and marketing team, travelled frequently to India, participating in high level meetings with Indian airlines, Indian Authorities, Airport operators and with the Diplomatic mission of Greece to India. Regular meetings continued during industry conferences in numerous locations each year.

India, was the last travel Athens team took in February 2020, just before the outbreak of the pandemic and was in the first route development expeditions when travel was gradually allowed. Athens team conducted  multiple meetings over the years and presented the strong case of Athens to all key Indian airlines, capable to operate Internationally. The team went even further and with the cooperation of the Embassy of Greece to India and the City of Athens Tourism partners, organized a Trade event… and a Greek night out…  at the Embassy premises in July 2023, showcasing what Greece and Athens has to offer. The event was a success with high attendance and follow up actions. Following the event, Fam trips from India were organized with Athens International Airport supporting this activity. The effort faced many challenges as the Indian airline sector was under transformation , with mergers, financial restructuring and scarcity of aircraft types, but efforts continued.

Earlier in 2025, IndiGo announced that Athens was in a short list of European destinations that the airline planned to operate. Aegean Airlines also announced the order of A321 XLRs and that India was its first pick for the operation of the new aircraft type. In June, during the IATA AGM, IndiGo’s CEO  announced that Athens was selected as the first European destination for the new A321 XLRs that the airline had in order. In July, Aegean confirmed that it will start operations to Delhi as of March 2026 and to Mumbai as of May 2026.

Last Monday, 15th of September, IndiGo officially announced that they will establish the first ever direct connection between India and Greece, on their first A321 XLR, on January 2026! Exciting news and exciting times ahead! IndiGo and Aegean Airlines also signed an MoU for codeshare partnership during that day! 

Finally, 2026 will be the year of India, as Athens will be connected directly for the very first time to Delhi and Mumbai with both Aegean and IndiGo operating both routes. IndiGo plans to commence three times weekly service from Delhi to Athens in early Jan-2026 and three times weekly from Mumbai, while Aegean plans to commence five times weekly Athens-Delhi service in Mar-2026 and three times weekly Athens-Mumbai service in May-2026. All in all, Athens will have 8 weekly services to Delhi and 6 to Mumbai, operating a total of 14 weekly frequencies between Athens and India.

What India means for Greece and for Athens!

The India-Greece market totaled about 90,000 two-way O&D passengers in 2024, with Athens accounting for over 90% of this traffic, according to IATA AirportIS figures. Demand is even stronger this year, as for the first 8 months of 2025 O&D traffic from India to Athens is growing by 26.5%, while the overall growth from India to Greece is at 23.8% (IATA AirportIS).

The opportunities of the Indian market for Greece are enormous, as last year the total O&D traffic between India and Europe surpassed 11.5mio two-way passengers.

Bilateral relationships between India and Greece are strong and have been upgraded to a strategic level, since 2023.

India is the world's most populous country, with an estimated 1.45 billion residents in 2024 and it is the 5th largest economy of the world.

The growing Indian middle class is important for Athens and Greece, as it is projected to represent 60 percent of the Indian population by 2047. The Indian middle class is fueling outbound tourism growth, with increasing numbers of Indian travelers exploring new destinations across Europe.

What the MoU between Aegean and IndiGo means to Athens International Airport!

IndiGo is the largest airline in India in terms of passenger traffic, with 118mio passengers last year.

The airline has a fleet of +400 aircraft and 985 aircraft on order, operating to a network of over 120 destinations.

In addition to India, IndiGo connects Delhi and Mumbai to over 40 International destinations, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and others.

Aegean is a home-based and the largest airline at Athens International Airport, operating a fleet of 74 aircraft. Aegean has a vast network from Athens, with over 100 International destinations.

The combined network, including domestic for Aegean and IndiGo, offers unparallel opportunities for beyond travel to both destinations on each direction.

The cooperation between Aegean and IndiGo will offer, double daily frequencies (x14/7) between Athens and India, possible beyond travel opportunities from both Athens and Delhi (or Mumbai) and an upscale travel experience in the brand new A321 XLR equipment.

Is the Job finished and done??? NO. For Athens International Airport, route development does not end at the inauguration of a new route, as work is underway from both the airline and the airport teams in establishing and promoting the new route to the public. Athens is investing in generous incentives to share the risk and support the airline partners in the opening of the new route(s) for several years, plus allocating significant Marketing budget for the promotion of the airline brand and route to the local market.

We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming the brand-new connections and the new airline partner to our airport, our city and our country!