3 new Aegean bases in Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini
100 + international routes served directly from regional bases in 2021
During 2020, it has been observed that visitors tend to stay longer at their chosen destination and prefer to avoid combinations of 2-3 destinations which was traditional practice, a trend which is expected to continue as long as the pandemic is present. This tendency and AEGEAN’s commitment to satisfy passengers demands, has resulted in this new network for the season 2021, with the strengthening and expansion of its operations and many more direct flights to and from the islands.
With 33 new direct routes, from the airline’s bases in Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes, Chania as well as the 3 new bases in Corfu, Santorini and Mykonos, AEGEAN will operate a total of 17 to 20 aircraft, exclusively in regional Greece. In this way, AEGEAN facilitates the recovery of tourism in the regions. At the same time, its Athens base remains the main hub of AEGEAN’s network activity, with 37 to 40 aircraft, connecting Athens and the Greek mainland with smaller island destinations.
| Regional bases | Aircraft per base |
| Thessaloniki | 4 |
| Heraklion | 7-8 |
| Rhodes | 2-4 |
| Chania | 1 |
| Corfu new ! | 1 |
| Mykonos new ! | 1 |
| Santorini new ! | 1 |
| Total | 17-20 |
International operations from the regional bases are scheduled to commence in May and June 2021 and are already available in all reservation systems. This supports access to regional destinations and provides our passengers with the opportunity to explore and benefit from “early booking” offers.
It is important to note that in the meantime, it is crucial that the necessary European protocols and guidelines for air travel be defined and that the first phase of vaccinations will progress across Europe. It is also of great importance that the “Guidelines for COVID-19 Testing and Quarantine of Air Travellers” published jointly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), indicates the effectiveness of the safety measures already applied across the civil aviation industry. The finalization of the program will take place at the end of February, when a clearer view is expected on the above issues.
“We are now standing at the most difficult turning point of the pandemic. We do, however, need to plan, to adapt to the new needs of our passengers, and to create the necessary conditions for recovery as soon as health conditions allow it. To this end, we are announcing a major flight schedule for 2021 directly to the regions and the islands, starting next May and June. Our commitment to health-safe travel in 2021, as in 2020, as well as our commitment to supporting tourism remain stable.”, said Dimitris Gerogiannis, AEGEAN’s CEO.
