A slight decrease is noted passenger traffic and number flying in the 14 largest airports regions in the first quarter of this year compared to the corresponding period in 2019. However, based on the time in March last year, these two indicators show an increase compared to the same month in 2019. And in relation to March and the first quarter of 2022, the number passengers demonstrating strong double-digit growth of 33% and 43% respectively.

Specifically at 14 airports operated by Fraport Greece, served 2.5% more passengers in March, bringing the total to 731,000. The scepters of growth are held by Corfu, where “Ioannis Kapodistrias” transported, compared to March 2019, 34% more people (32,410). They are followed by Chania and Skiathos, each of whose airports received 33.5% more visitors. In the first month of spring, the Diagoras of Rhodes also showed a significant increase in passenger traffic, through which 71,330 people were transported, which is 31.3% higher than in March 2019. On the other hand, a decrease of 24.2% to 4835 people shows the traffic at Kavala Airport, while in the comparable period the number of passengers at Santorini Airport shows a double-digit drop (-16.4%).

What was international passenger traffic like in March? It showed, compared to the same month in 2019, a significant increase, increasing by 14.1%, to 290.5 thousand people. In Rhodes, the number of foreign passengers rose to 15,450 from 219 in March 2019. Mykonos and Corfu, compared to March 2019, received about 20 and 10 times more foreign guests, the number of which was 864 and 10,520 respectively. However, the picture is different for domestic traffic, which decreased by 4% (440,500) compared to March 2019. Compared to last month, Kavala (-24.5%) and Santorini (-22.1%) airports showed the largest drop in domestic passengers. %). On the “Macedonia” in Thessaloniki, passenger traffic fell by 4.1%, to 420.2 thousand people.

According to the results of the first quarter, 14 regional airports served 1.890 million people, which is 1.8% less compared to the corresponding period in 2019. The largest percentage change was shown by the airports of Skiathos (39.7%), Chania (20.6%) and Zakynthos (20.4%). Passengers were transported to Macedonia by 4.2% less compared to the first quarter of 2019.

The number of flights shows the same rate of change. In other words, in March compared to the same month in 2019, 2.6% more flights were recorded, totaling 7,415. On the contrary, in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2019, the flight project is reduced by 2.8% ( 19,614 flights). Performance of 14 regional airports last March combined with forecasts for this year tourist arrivalscreating hopes for a new record in 2023.