Aegean Airlines is adding two new direct routes to its network in September 2026: Athens to Rotterdam and Thessaloniki to Cairo. The services improve direct access to Greece from the Netherlands and Egypt, reducing the need to connect through major European hubs.
Athens to Rotterdam
The new Athens (ATH)–Rotterdam The Hague (RTM) route gives Dutch travellers a direct option into Athens without connecting via Amsterdam Schiphol or Brussels. Rotterdam is the Netherlands’ second-largest city and is served by EasyJet and a handful of European carriers, but direct access to Athens has not been available on a regular basis before.
For travellers in northern Europe connecting at Rotterdam, the Intercity Direct train from Schiphol to Rotterdam takes around 25 minutes, making Rotterdam a viable gateway for connections beyond the Netherlands.
Thessaloniki to Cairo
The Thessaloniki (SKG)–Cairo (CAI) service opens a direct link between northern Greece’s largest city and the Egyptian capital. Thessaloniki is increasingly well connected for year-round travel - it is less crowded than Athens and serves as the base for visiting northern Greece’s archaeological sites, monasteries, and mountain regions.
For Greek visitors and Egyptian tourists, the route also makes bilateral leisure travel significantly more accessible without routing through Athens or Istanbul.
Greece’s Tourism Momentum in 2026
Greece recorded a 15.4% rise in inbound international visitors in the first half of 2026, reaching 13.49 million arrivals, with tourism receipts of €8.80 billion. Athens has overtaken Santorini as the fastest-growing destination within the country, driven by year-round demand and expanding flight connections.
September marks the transition into the shoulder season - a strong time to visit for lower prices, reduced ferry congestion, and comfortable temperatures. The cultural calendar remains active through October.
For more on planning a visit to Greece’s second city, see our Thessaloniki guide. For the capital, start with the Athens city guide. For the full range of flights to Greece from across Europe and beyond, Aegean and its partners connect most major hubs to Athens and Thessaloniki.