An increase in airline seats from Germany to Greece is recorded for the summer peak of 2026, with variations by month and destination, according to the data on scheduled flights available so far. The picture reflects shifts in supply in favor of specific urban centers and destinations showing increased resilience.
The data on flight scheduling and airline seat capacity from the German market to Greece for summer 2026 point to a more selective geographical and calendar-based allocation of supply. The weight appears to be shifting toward major urban centers and destinations with greater resilience, as opposed to established island hotspots, while the strategy for increasing airline seats is oriented more toward July than August.
The data exclusively obtained by TornosNEWS from the aviation data company Cirium, referring to scheduled flights and seats from Germany to Greece for the two peak summer months of 2026 compared with the corresponding period of 2025, as currently reflected in airline reservation systems, show an increase in flights of 3.4% and airline seats of +2.7% for July, and corresponding increases of 1.1% and 0.3% for August.
Exponential rise in seats in July, restrained increase in August
The above data, which concern 10 Greek destination airports served by flights from Germany (Athens, Thessaloniki, Chania, Heraklion, Corfu, Kos, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Zakynthos), confirm the steady momentum of the German market toward Greece in the heart of the summer season.
For July 2026, the total number of flights from Germany to the ten Greek destinations amounts to 4,148, recording an increase of 136 flights (+3.4%) compared with the same month in 2025. Available airline seats reach 766,281, which is 20,354 more than in July 2025 (+2.7%).
More moderate increases are recorded in August, when total seats from Germany to the 10 Greek destinations amount to 774,785, strengthened by 2,058 seats compared with this year (+0.3%), while 44 additional flights will be offered, bringing the total to 4,204 (+1.1%).
Chania, Athens and Thessaloniki among the winners in the July seat race
The July picture is characterized by a strong boost in the number of flights and airline seats from German airports to Chania (+13% in seats and +11% in flights), Athens (+8.2% in seats and +4.8% in flights) and Thessaloniki (+7.2% and +8.2%). Specifically, Chania is offered 5,113 more seats compared with July 2025, Athens 10,260 more, and Thessaloniki 8,066 more than this year. In Chania, there are 23 more flights compared with July 2025, bringing the total to 44,406; in Athens, 32 more flights, to 135,044; and in Thessaloniki, 50 more flights, to 120,004.
Smaller increases are observed in Heraklion, with a seat increase of 2.6% or 4,905 seats and a rise in flights of 4.6%; in Corfu, with a +2.3% increase in seats or 1,811 additional seats and a 3.3% increase in flights; and in Zakynthos, where the number of flights remains unchanged compared with July 2025, but seats are increased by 2%, or 237 seats.
Mykonos, Santorini, Kos and Rhodes are moving downward, with the largest reduction recorded in Rhodes, where the number of seats currently appears reduced by 8.6% compared with July 2025 levels, or by 8,642 seats, while the number of flights also records a decrease of 6.1%, corresponding to 32 fewer flights, bringing the total to 91,495.
Reductions in the other three destinations mainly concern the number of seats and are marginal, with the exception of Kos, where seats record a decrease of 1.9% or 1,348 seats. For Santorini, the data show 30 fewer seats compared with July 2025, and for Mykonos, 18 fewer seats.
10,862 fewer airline seats for Rhodes in August
Reductions for these destinations worsen in August 2026. According to Ciriums August data, the largest reduction in airline seats from the German market, in absolute numbers, is observed in Rhodes (-10.7%), where 10,862 fewer seats per month will be offered compared with 2025, along with 43 fewer flights.
Heraklion follows with 4,899 fewer seats than in August 2025 (-2.5%) and 11 fewer flights; Kos with 3,110 fewer seats (-4.2%) and 6 fewer flights; Mykonos with 1,260 fewer seats (-13.4%) and 6 fewer flights; and Santorini with 372 fewer seats (-3.6%) and 2 fewer flights compared with this year.
By contrast, Athens and Thessaloniki are the main drivers of growth in August. The capital records a 7% increase in available seats, which are expanded by 8,760 compared with August 2025, and a +3.7% increase in the number of flights, confirming the citys role as a strong city break destination and entry hub for the German market even at the height of summer. Similarly, Thessaloniki is strengthened with a 5.4% increase in seat numbers and a 7.7% rise in flights, reflecting the broadening of demand toward Northern Greece.
Chania stands out with the largest percentage increase, as available seats rise by 14.3%, meaning 5,685 more seats than this year, and flights by 11.2%, confirming the continued momentum of western Crete. Corfu is also moving upward (+1.9% in seats or 1,529 additional seats, and +3.2% in flights), while Zakynthos remains at roughly last years levels, with an increase of 290 seats.
It is noted that the data concern scheduled flights and seats, not actual passenger traffic figures, while the 2026 program remains dynamic and may be revised.
