Full flights, increased passenger traffic across its network and maintaining the preference for destinations that until recently were considered "outsider", are the main characteristics of this year's Easter passenger traffic for AEGEAN.
The mass exodus of passengers from its two largest bases in Athens and Thessaloniki starts already at the weekend and peaks only in the middle of Holy Week.
According to the company's data, the favourite Easter destination in Greece remains Corfu, with Ikaria and Sitia being this year's pleasant "surprise" due to high flight frequencies.
However, in terms of Greek preferences, top destination is Morocco , leading the list of preferences, with tickets on flights to Marrakesh sold out weeks ago, while Malaga, Naples and Stockholm are constantly gaining the preference of passengers.
TOP DESTINATIONS
On the domestic network from AEGEAN's base in Athens, flights from April 26 to Holy Saturday have an occupancy rate of more than 80%, while return traffic is already recording occupancy rates of more than 90%, peaking on May 7, when the May Day holiday will be celebrated.
The top domestic destinations from the Athens base are: Corfu, Ikaria, Sitia, Sitia Ioannina, Zakynthos and Kos
From the company's second-largest base in Thessaloniki, on the domestic network, load factors are increasing, reaching 90% with return flights already full. The top destinations are: Kos, Samos, Chios, Mytilene, Rhodes, and Lemnos.
Also, routes such as Athens - Thessaloniki, Athens - Heraklion, Athens - Rhodes and Athens - Chania tend to have correspondingly high occupancy rates, although the company, taking special care for the travel of special categories of passengers such as students, military, teachers, etc., has significantly increased the number of seats offered by adding additional frequencies.
TOP DESTINATIONS ABROAD
On the international network from Athens International Airport, the occupancy rates are significantly higher compared to the same period last year, ranging from 75% to 82%, with traffic peaking from the middle of Holy Week, while from Macedonia Airport, the average occupancy rate for international flights ranges from 80% to 86%.
From the Athens base, the top destinations are Marrakech, Lisbon, Malaga, Naples, Paris and Stockholm, while from the Thessaloniki base, the top destinations are Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Larnaca, Berlin, Frankfurt and Larnaca.
In fact, flights to and from Marrakesh for weeks now have an occupancy rate of almost 100% during Easter.
This year's Easter shows similar dynamics and demand compared to last year's, despite the fact that in 2023, the Catholic and Orthodox Easter were only one week apart in time, unlike this year, where the intervening period was much longer, reflecting the increased mood and dynamics of Greek travelers.
According to the data and the choices of travelers during the 3 days and holidays of this year, it can be seen that Greeks now tend to choose less prominent or busy destinations and to "try" new travel experiences, while they proceeded to book their tickets well in advance, taking advantage of the opportunities offered.
However, travellers can still find "last minute deals" for various destinations such as Warsaw, Cairo, Bristol, or Munich on the international network, as well as for specific flights to Paros, Milos and Mykonos on the domestic network.
