Athens is served by Athens International Airport (ATH), the largest and busiest airport in Greece and a major gateway to Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. It receives an extensive network of arrivals from across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, with significant seasonal variations for tourist traffic arriving from the Greek islands and abroad.
The most frequent and affordable flights to Athens are from major European capitals and hubs. Key origin destinations include London (LHR, LGW, STN), Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), Rome (FCO), and Istanbul (IST) into ATH. The airport is also a crucial hub for domestic arrivals from Greek islands like Santorini (JTR), Mykonos (JMK), Crete (HER), and Rhodes (RHO) to Athens. It receives strong connections from the Middle East (Dubai, Doha, Tel Aviv) and North Africa into ATH.
The market is highly competitive for flights into Athens. Aegean Airlines, the national carrier and a Star Alliance member, uses ATH as its main hub for arrivals. Olympic Air operates many domestic routes to the capital. Low-cost carriers have a massive presence at ATH: Ryanair and easyJet have large bases, and Wizz Air, Volotea, and others compete fiercely on European leisure routes into Athens. International carriers like Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, and Emirates also operate key routes to ATH.
To secure cheap flights to Athens, book European arrivals 4-10 weeks in advance into ATH. For peak summer travel from the islands or from abroad to Athens, book 3-6 months ahead. Always compare Aegean Airlines with Ryanair, easyJet, and other low-cost carriers for the best deals into Athens from within Europe. Use Athens' hub status to find competitive fares into the city from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Flying mid-week (Tuesday-Thursday) into ATH consistently offers the lowest prices, especially for arrivals from the islands. ATH's metro link from the city center makes access convenient and affordable for arriving passengers.