Passenger Growth Can’t Save Athens International Airport: Profit Drops Four Point Eight Percent Despite Six Point Seven Percent Rise

Published on November 3, 2025

Athens International Airport (AIA), a primary gateway to Greece, has posted a 4.8% decline successful its nine-month nett profit, contempt an summation successful passenger traffic. The airdrome reported a 6.7% rise successful passengers, reaching 26.2 million travelers, yet nan financial capacity has been impacted by rising operating costs and a higher variable concession fee, which offset nan gains made successful revenue.

Decline successful Net Profit Despite Growth successful Passenger Traffic

For nan play ending September 30, AIA’s net profit decreased to 185.8 cardinal euros ($216.7 million), down from 195.1 cardinal euros nan erstwhile year. While passenger numbers accrued significantly, this was not capable to flooded nan financial pressures caused by higher operating costs. AIA’s financial results bespeak nan increased demand for air travel but besides item nan challenges that nan airdrome faces successful maintaining profitability successful a competitory situation pinch rising costs, including wage increases and inflation.

Higher Operating Expenses Weigh connected Financial Performance

One of nan cardinal factors contributing to nan diminution successful net profit was a surge successful operating expenses. Total operating costs for nan 9 months roseate by 14.1% year-on-year, totaling 180.1 cardinal euros. This summation tin beryllium attributed to respective factors, including a higher variable Grant of Rights fee, further staffing and outsourcing expenses to meet increasing demand, and rising costs associated pinch electricity, maintenance, and wages. As these expenses increased, they overshadowed nan gross gains resulting from nan maturation successful rider numbers and charges associated pinch air activities.

Passenger Traffic Growth Supports Modest Revenue Increase

Despite nan rising operating costs, AIA knowledgeable affirmative maturation successful some total revenues and different income. Total revenues roseate by 3.5%, reaching 526.9 cardinal euros. This summation was mostly driven by nan maturation successful passenger traffic, pinch an further 6.7% successful passengers compared to nan erstwhile year. The emergence successful passenger numbers helped make higher air-related revenue, including landing and takeoff fees, arsenic good arsenic regulated airdrome complaint adjustments, which boosted wide revenue.

Breakdown of Revenue Sources: Air and Non-Air Activities

Revenue from air-related activities roseate by 2.5%, reaching 397.5 cardinal euros. However, this was not capable to offset nan higher operating expenses. On nan different hand, non-air revenue showed stronger performance, expanding by 6.7% to 129.5 cardinal euros. This summation was chiefly driven by maturation successful nan retail sector, contempt disruptions successful car parking operations. The maturation successful retail gross helped AIA mitigate immoderate of nan challenges faced by nan airside operations, suggesting that non-air income is becoming an progressively important root of gross for nan airport.

Impact of Tourism connected Greece’s Economy

Tourism remains a vital sector for Greece, contributing much than a 4th of nan country’s economic output. The capacity of Athens International Airport reflects nan broader trends successful Greece’s tourism industry, highlighting some nan maturation successful passenger traffic and nan challenges posed by rising operating costs. While nan maturation successful passenger numbers suggests beardown request for air travel to Greece, nan expanding costs, peculiarly related to staffing and utilities, person impacted nan profitability of nan airport. As nan main gateway to Greece, AIA plays a pivotal domiciled successful supporting nan country’s tourism sector, which remains a cardinal driver of economic growth.

Looking Ahead: The Future of AIA and Greece’s Tourism

Despite nan challenges outlined successful nan report, AIA continues to beryllium a cardinal hub for air recreation to Greece, and its capacity remains important for nan wellness of Greece’s tourism industry. The expanding number of world visitors indicates that nan request for recreation to Greece is strong, and AIA’s expertise to support maturation successful rider postulation contempt operational challenges is simply a affirmative parameter for nan future. Moreover, nan increase successful non-air revenue, peculiarly successful retail, suggests that AIA is diversifying its revenue streams, which will thief buffer nan pressures from rising airside costs.

The strong growth successful passenger traffic points to a affirmative early for some AIA and nan broader tourism sector successful Greece. As nan airdrome continues to accommodate to nan rising request for travel, it is well-positioned to stay a critical player successful Greece’s tourism industry and lend to nan continued maturation of nan section economy.

Conclusion

Athens International Airport’s latest financial results item nan challenges nan airdrome faces owed to rising costs, contempt a important summation successful passenger traffic. The decline successful nett profit reflects nan pressures connected AIA’s financial performance, but nan growth successful rider numbers and retail revenue connection optimism for nan future. As Greece’s tourism industry continues to thrive, AIA is expected to stay an important driver of economical maturation and a cardinal hub for international travel to Greece.

[Source: Reuters]