More than 14 million passengers flew into Greece in the first five months of the year marking a 377.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021 and 2.93 million passengers and recouping 86% of pre-Covid levels, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) said.
According to HCAA tentative data for the January-May 2022 period, Greek airports recorded 139,861 flights – 68,352 domestic and 71,509 international – marking a 115.8 percent increase over the same five-month period in 2021 and 64,823 flights.
However, compared to the same five-month period in pre-pandemic 2019 and 147,662 flights, the number of flights this year is still down by 5.3 percent and arrivals are down 14 percent when compared to 2019 and 16.3 million.
May figures exceeded 2019 levels, which according to HCAA data, came to 5,927,281 passenger arrivals up by 370.7 percent over 2021 and 1,259,340 arrivals.
Total flights also increased by 143.1 percent to 50,171 – 18,293 domestic and 31,878 international – compared to May 2021 and 20,638 flights.
International arrivals to Greece in May rose by 530 percent or 2,433,492 passengers compared to the same month in 2021 and 386,243 arrivals.
Compared to record year 2019, flights increased in May 2022 by 3.4 percent from 48,498.
Passenger traffic (arrivals and departures) was up by 1 percent compared to May 2019 and 5,868,304.
May arrivals on International flights increased by 3.2 percent compared to 2019 and 2,356,989.
In the first four months of the year, Greek airports handled 8.1 million passengers, up by 383 percent over the same period in 2021.
