Thessaloniki (SKG) Airport & Passenger Statistics 2025

Page last updated: 4 March 2026

Thessaloniki “Makedonia” Airport (SKG) is Northern Greece‘s main travel hub and the country’s third-busiest airport. It connects the region to 90 international destinations in 31 countries and maintains key domestic routes throughout Greece.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Thessaloniki Airport each year?

Thessaloniki Airport serves nearly 8 million passengers annually and is a major regional hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.

SKG served 7.98 million passengers in 2025 (new all-time record), an 8.1% increase from 7.38 million in 2024.
The airport exceeded its pre-pandemic high of 6.89 million (2019) passengers by 15.8%.
Due to the pandemic, traffic dropped to 2.32 million in 2020.
It gradually recovered to 3.45 million in 2021, 5.92 million in 2022 and further to 7.03 million in 2023.

Domestic vs International Passengers

International travelers make up the bulk of passengers at Thessaloniki Airport.

In 2025, international passengers made up 68.2% of total traffic (5.44 million).
Domestic passengers accounted for 31.8% (2.54 million travelers).

Aircraft Operations at Thessaloniki Airport

Thessaloniki Airport handles over 50,000 aircraft movements annually.

In 2025, there were 61,141 takeoffs and landings, up 7.1% from 57,080 operations in 2024.
The airport reached its pre-pandemic operations peak in 2019 with 55,738 movements, followed by a decline to 24,966 in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Recovery has continued steadily: 37,224 operations in 2021, 49,019 in 2022, and 54,658 in 2023.

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Thessaloniki Airport?

Thessaloniki Airport is served by 32 scheduled airlines. Greece’s national carrier and Europe’s largest low-cost airline share the leading market positions.

Ryanair leads by destination count, operating 36 routes mostly to European leisure destinations.
Aegean Airlines operates about one-third of scheduled departures during peak months, serving 31 destinations primarily to European hubs.
SKY express provides important domestic competition, particularly on routes to Athens and Heraklion.

Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic at Thessaloniki Airport

Passenger traffic at Thessaloniki Airport is highly seasonal. Summer months show the highest volumes.

In 2025, the busiest months were August with 910,543 passengers, July with 883,077, and September with 836,384.
In contrast, the least busy months were January (439,954 passengers) and February (424,053 passengers).

How many routes are there at Thessaloniki Airport?

The airport serves 90 international destinations across 31 countries
Domestic network includes 17 routes connecting major Greek cities and islands
Total network encompasses approximately 107 destinations served by 32 scheduled airlines
International routes are heavily concentrated in European leisure markets, particularly Germany, UK and emerging Central/Eastern European markets.

Car Rental in Greece

Which destinations are the most popular from Thessaloniki Airport?

The most popular international destination from Thessaloniki Airport in 2025 was Germany, with 1.73 million passengers.
It was followed by the UK with 494,246 passengers and Cyprus with 482,867 passengers.
Italy recorded 362,800 passengers, while Poland had 263,047 passengers.

How much cargo does Thessaloniki Airport handle annually?

Thessaloniki Airport handles nearly 5 million kg of cargo annually.

The airport processed 4.64 million kg of cargo in 2025, down 17.3% from 5.61 million kg in 2024.
In 2023, cargo volumes totaled 5.45 million kg.

Notable Incidents at Thessaloniki Airport

July 4, 2000: A Malev Hungarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154B-2 landed gear-up after an unstable approach. The aircraft was badly damaged, but there were no fatalities.
December 17, 1997: Aerosvit Flight 241, a Yakovlev Yak-42, crashed into the Pierian Mountains during approach due to crew disorientation. All 70 people on board died.
August 12, 1997: An Olympic Airways Boeing 727-230 overran the runway during a thunderstorm landing. The aircraft was written off, with no fatalities.
August 31, 1995: A Force Aérienne du Mali Antonov An-26 crashed into a mountain 4 km from the airport during a visual approach in poor weather, killing 6 people.

Thessaloniki Airport Fast Facts

Thessaloniki Airport is the third-largest airport in Greece after Athens International Airport and Heraklion International Airport.
The airport consists of two terminals
The airport has two runways
- 10/28: 3,440 m (length)
- 16/34: 2,424 m
There are 22 stands for narrow-body aircraft and 20 for light aircraft.

Other Airport Statistics

References

SKG: Thessaloniki Airport Air Traffic Statistics
FC: Routes from Thessaloniki Airport
ASN: Incidents at Thessaloniki Airport