Volotea will shut down its base in Athens, Greece at the end of the summer of 2025, after six years of operation at Athens International Airport (AIA). However, according to Volotea, the closure of the base will not change its flight schedule for Athens. The airline will continue operations in Athens, ensuring that Greek destinations stay connected with Europe.
Volotea Growth and Contributions to Workforce in Greece
Volotea has been slowly growing its network and enhancing its presence in Greece in recent years. In 2024, Volotea announced plans to increase its capacity by 13% compared to 2023, offering more than 1.6 million seats across Greece.
The airline provides direct flights from Athens to 16 different locations. The launch of new all-year-round flights to Marseille and Lyon from Athens, Greece contributed to Volotea’s growth.
Volotea also found success in expanding route offerings with the introduction of international connections, directly linking Athens to Naples, Brest and Split, which started in the previous summer of 2024.
The airline’s Athens base contributed significantly to the Greek economy and workforce by employing over 500 people. To support the affected employees from the closure, Greek airline SKY Express shared a statement encouraging those affected to consider applying for positions within its expanding team.
Volotea’s Codeshare Agreement with Aegean Airlines
Greece’s biggest carrier Aegean Airlines has been the commercial partner of Volotea since 2021 with Volotea announcing a commercial joint venture with Aegean Airlines on September 3rd, 2024. The two airlines expanded their current codeshare agreement and established a long-term strategic partnership to improve connectivity in Greece and increase their presence in Europe.
Volotea offers direct flights to 16 destinations under its own code, along with another 16 destinations under Aegean’s code. Greece is the smallest of Volotea’s base markets, making up just 0.7% of its scheduled weekly capacity. More than 90% of the airline’s scheduled weekly capacity is focused on France, Italy, and Spain.
Despite Volotea closing its base in Athens, it is keen to keep its flight schedule operating in Athens with 330,000 yearly seats. Plus, it will continue to provide more than 100 routes through its codeshare agreement with Aegean Airlines.
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