At the top of Europe once again was Athens Airport, voted there by the airlines themselves!
At this year’s largest annual gathering of the European aviation industry, “Routes Europe 2026” (May 18–20), held in Rimini, Italy, Athens Airport — “repeating the success of the previous year,” as the organizers noted — once again won first place for its marketing strategy and its initiatives to develop the Athens market, in the highly competitive category of airports handling over 20 million passengers.
The Routes Awards are unique of their kind, as both the voting and decision-making process belong exclusively to the airlines, which recognize excellence in route development worldwide.
This year’s distinction is even more significant as it comes just a few months after Athens International Airport’s major success at Routes World 2025, confirming Athens’ steady momentum as one of the world’s most competitive and fastest-growing aviation markets.
Competing alongside Athens Airport in the same category were the airports of Rome, Munich, Brussels, and Istanbul (Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport).
In 2025, Athens International Airport recorded a new historic performance, serving 34 million passengers, an increase of 6.7% compared to 2024.
At the same time, 21 airlines — including 9 new to the Athens market — added services to the airport’s network, introducing 29 new destinations, while 20 additional frequency increases and new services on existing routes further strengthened the city’s connectivity.
Ioanna Papadopoulou, Communications & Marketing Director of Athens International Airport, stated:
“We are especially delighted by the first-place award in the highly competitive Routes Europe Awards, and it serves as a strong motivation for us to continue working with the same dedication to enhance the connectivity of both our airport and our city.
This distinction holds special significance for us, as it comes from the airlines themselves, which recognize both the continued momentum of the Athens market and the airport’s consistent support for their further growth.
A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the airlines for their trust and, of course, to my colleagues and the AIA Air Service Development & Marketing team for their hard work and truly collaborative effort that delivered an outstanding result.”
