Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” reached the top of the world at the “ ROUTES WORLD 2025” (Hong Kong, September 24-26), the largest gathering in the air transport industry, which traditionally recognizes airport excellence and outstanding achievements in developing global air connectivity.

With the votes of the airlines themselves, Athens International Airport emerged as the overall winner, taking first place among all airports and categories (“Overall Winner”), while also dominating the highly competitive category of airports handling over 20 million passengers!

This year’s global Routes Conference brought together more than 2,500 airport and airline professionals, with Athens Airport recognized internationally for its aviation marketing strategy as well as its impressive traffic results and network growth in Athens. In 2024, Athens International Airport served 31.9 million passengers – a record number, 25% higher than pre-pandemic levels. The growth continued into 2025, with traffic rising by 6.8% in the first eight months compared to 2024, thanks to the launch of many new routes. Highlights included American Airlines’ new service to Charlotte and Norse Atlantic Airways’ new service to Los Angeles, while for 2026, new connections with India by Aegean Airlines and IndiGo are being prepared.

Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing at Athens International Airport, stated:  “We are truly excited about this great double distinction at this year’s Routes World Awards! These awards are a recognition of our hard work and a tremendous reward for our dedication, vision, collaboration, and team spirit! A huge thank you to the airlines for their vote of confidence in the Athens market!”

By steadily enhancing the connectivity of Athens and Greece with the world, Athens Airport, through these distinctions, once again confirms its leading position on the global aviation map.