PRESS RELEASES
15 APRIL 2004
18% more scheduled flights in the 2004 Spring Timetable

Athens International Airport's spring 2004 flight schedule (March 28th - June 19th, 2004) offers 242 additional weekly scheduled flights (representing an 18% increase compared to the spring period 2003). During the above period, fifty-eight (58) airlines will be operating 1,578 scheduled weekly flights, connecting "Eleftherios Venizelos" to 100 destinations in 48 countries.

Analytically:

  • In the 2004 spring flight schedule, the number of international flights from/to the Airport, increased by 24.5%, with 768 weekly frequencies (151 additional on last year's schedule) serving 70 destinations around the globe.

    In addition to the carriers that started operations at "Eleftherios Venizelos" during the winter period (Germania Express, and Gulf Air), AIA's international network is further expanded by three newcomers: Air Polonia (Warsaw), Helios Airways (Larnaca), and Scandinavian Airlines / SAS (Copenhagen).

    Moreover, the following airlines that already operate from Athens, have expanded their network by adding new destinations to their flight schedules: Aegean Airlines (Larnaca), easyJet (Berlin), Hellas Jet (Manchester), Lufthansa (Dusseldorf), and Volareweb (Venice).

    Furthermore, in the spring 2004 flight schedule, airlines, such as Aegean Airlines, Delta, Iberia, and Tarom, have increased their weekly frequencies compared to the respective period of 2003.
     
  • Domestic services out of Athens increased by 12.7%, offering travellers a choice of 810 weekly flights (91 more compared to the 2003 spring period) to 33 Greek destinations.

The top destinations served out of Athens International Airport
For the spring period 2004, Eleftherios Venizelos's top international routes are: Larnaca with 78 scheduled weekly frequencies (48 last year) and London with 74 (60 last year), followed by Paris, Rome, and Munich, with 54, 49, and 49 flights each (40, 47, & 29 last year, respectively). The top domestic routes are: Thessaloniki with 159 weekly frequencies (139 last year), and Heraklion with 89 frequencies (80 last year).

The increase in weekly scheduled frequencies for the spring period 2004 at Athens International Airport, demonstrates the airport's successful business strategy in combination with the aviation industry's steady rebound already witnessed during the first quarter of 2004 (January-March), which according to the airport's preliminary passenger traffic figures, is expected to show a 12% increase.

Commenting on Athens International Airport's spring 2004 flight schedule, AIA's CEO, Mr. Alfred van der Meer, stressed:"We are happy to witness such an amazing increase (18%) in air traffic at Athens International Airport. Especially in the international sector, we believe that the exceptional 24.5% growth in weekly flights confirms the competitiveness of our airport, but most importantly acknowledges our continuous efforts to extend our contribution to the development of Greek tourism".