Airfare prices in Greece recorded the biggest annual increase in the European Union in August 2026, rising 16.3 percent from a year earlier, according to Eurostat.
The increase stood out against the broader European trend. Passenger air transport prices across the EU fell 0.4 percent compared with August 2025.
Ireland recorded the second-largest increase, at 14.4 percent.
Greece Records the Sharpest Increase
The Eurostat figures cover passenger air transport prices as measured through the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP).
Greece recorded a 16.3 percent annual increase in August, followed by Ireland at 14.4 percent. Ten EU countries recorded lower airfares than a year earlier.
Slovakia saw the largest decline, with prices falling 61.2 percent. Other decreases ranged from 15.8 percent in Spain to 0.9 percent in Lithuania.
The figures do not mean that every flight ticket in Greece became 16.3 percent more expensive. They show the annual change in the relevant consumer price index for passenger air transport.
Airfare Prices Have Been Highly Volatile
Eurostat also points to strong fluctuations in European airfare prices over the past two years.
Airfares across the EU rose 13.7 percent year-on-year in April 2025 before falling 3.2 percent in May. In 2026, prices started the year 2.9 percent lower than a year earlier.
They fell another 4.7 percent in April before rising 8.1 percent in May. Prices then continued to fluctuate, with the EU-wide annual rate reaching a 0.4 percent decline in August.
The latest figures place Greece at the top of the EU table for annual airfare increases in August. They also highlight how sharply flight prices can move from one period to another.
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