Delta to Launch Direct US-Greece Flight to Athens

Delta’s first direct flight from the United States to Greece will arrive at Athens International Airport on March 11th, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said in an interview on Saturday.

At a television program by national broadcaster ERT, Kikilias said that Delta stopped its direct flights to Athens only four days ago, signaling the extension of the tourism season into winter.

“This company stopped its [direct] flights just four days ago, which means that shortly, besides Emirates, [U.S.] airlines will provide direct flights [to Greece] every month of the year,” the minister said, adding that “it is very important that the extension of the tourism season is not limited to promises but is acted upon.”

In May 2022, Delta and Greek carrier Sky Express announced an agreement to offer flight connections for customers between the U.S. and the Greek islands.

Delta customers flying from North America were able to fly on one of Delta’s daily nonstop services to Athens and then connect to thirty-four hotspots across Greece and Cyprus operated by Sky Express.

56 flights between US, Canada, and Greece each week

Kikilias said a total of fifty-six flights per week have been declared by the United States and Canada with Athens as their destination, and the number is rising.

The minister also called on the tourism sector to be ready to receive visitors by March 1st and noted that the greatest challenge Greece will face in terms of arrivals is the number of airplane slots at airports.

Demand, he explained, will stretch into the night, as flights will be coming from Australia and China, while talks about flights from the Middle East are also ongoing.

The minister said the aim for 2023 will be for Greek tourism to capitalize on the strong momentum it developed in 2022 with revenues from the industry expected to have surpassed eighteen billion euros.

In this framework, the tourism ministry will continue its efforts to attract visitors all twelve months of the year.

Aiming to boost Greek tourism during the months of low demand and attracting travelers throughout all twelve months of the year, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) recently entered into long-term agreements with ten airlines.

According to the agreements, the airlines will add more routes or maintain their existing flights to Greek destinations during the winter months as well.

According to reports, these airlines include AEGEAN Airlines, SKY express, Jet2.com, Easy Jet, Wizz Air, British Airways, Eurowings, BlueBird Airways, Sun d’ Or, and TUS Airways.