The Greek airline has evolved from a small aviation company into a key part of Greece's connectivity, also for Spanish travelers arriving in the country to embark on a cruise
For many travelers, the cruise begins the moment they step aboard. But when the destination is Greece, the journey starts much earlier. Choosing how to get there, which airport to fly to, and how to connect to the port of embarkation can be a significant part of the planning. Greece is one of those places in the world that deserves more and better connections from any country, but in Spain, we always seem to fall short.
This is precisely where AEGEAN takes on a particularly interesting dimension for any traveler, including cruise passengers. Greece is not just Athens. It is a country made up of thousands of islands, numerous regional airports, and a geography that makes connectivity essential for tourism. For more than two decades, AEGEAN has been building a network that connects Greece with Europe and other international markets.
For Spanish cruise passengers, this means that the arrival airport doesn't necessarily have to be in Athens. Depending on the itinerary, the port of embarkation, and the travel dates, the AEGEAN network allows for different combinations to reach the ship or to extend the trip before or after the cruise.
But to understand how AEGEAN got here, we have to go back to its origins.
From a small aviation company to Greece's leading airline
The story of AEGEAN begins before the company we know today even existed. In 1992, Aegean Aviation became the first private airline in Greece to obtain an air operator's certificate. In 1994, it was integrated into the Vassilakis Group, beginning a period of investment and expansion that would eventually transform that small company into one of Greece's leading air transport groups.
The current AEGEAN Airlines was established in March 1999 and began regular operations that same year, initially connecting Athens with Heraklion and Thessaloniki.
In December 1999, it acquired Air Greece, quickly strengthening its position in the domestic market. Expansion continued in the following years. In 2001, AEGEAN merged its operations with Cronus Airlines, expanding its national and international network, and in 2010 it took another important step by joining Star Alliance. But the biggest change would come with Olympic Air.
In 2011, the European Commission initially blocked AEGEAN's proposed acquisition of Olympic Air on competition grounds. Two years later, in 2013, Brussels approved the deal, and the acquisition was completed in October of that year. Olympic Air then became a subsidiary of AEGEAN.
The acquisition represented much more than just an increase in size for the group; it strengthened Athens' connectivity with numerous regional airports and island destinations, something especially relevant in a country whose geographical structure makes air connectivity crucial. And it is precisely this extensive network that is proving particularly attractive to cruise tourism today.
Who is behind AEGEAN?
Although AEGEAN is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, the Vassilakis Group remains the company's main shareholder. Theodoros Vassilakis spearheaded the business project in its early stages. Currently, his son, Eftichios Vassilakis, is Chairman of the Board and CEO of AEGEAN.
According to data published by the company as of the end of 2025, Eftichios Vassilakis directly and indirectly controlled 38.04% of the voting rights. This figure illustrates the continued influence of the Vassilakis family in a company that has also achieved significant international reach.
Much more than Athens
For cruise travelers, this is probably one of the most interesting aspects of AEGEAN's evolution. The airline doesn't just connect Greece with major European capitals. Its domestic network allows connections between Athens and numerous destinations within the country, and increasingly, there are direct flights between regional airports without having to transit through the capital.
The 2026 figures give an idea of the scale achieved. In July, AEGEAN operated 66 domestic routes to 32 destinations and 154 international routes to 108 destinations in 43 countries. Furthermore, during the summer of 2026, it operated 38 direct routes connecting 24 destinations outside Athens, a particularly significant figure for a country like Greece.
Because the journey can begin in Athens, but also in Crete, Rhodes, or other locations across Greece. And having an air network capable of connecting different airports expands the possibilities when planning the trip.
Spain, the first leg of the journey
For Spanish passengers, AEGEAN offers different access options to Greece from several national airports.
Madrid and Barcelona have connections to Athens, while the airline's schedule also includes options from other Spanish airports, including Malaga, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville, and Palma de Mallorca, depending on the season and dates. However, the 2026 and 2027 schedules must be checked flight by flight. This is important because the AEGEAN search engine may display both its own flights and connecting flights operated by partner airlines.
On my last two trips to the Greek islands, Aegean was the company chosen for at least one of the journeys.
Choosing the right flight is especially important when you have a specific boarding time. Arriving in Greece on the day of embarkation might be an option if schedules align, but it means accepting that any delays or disruptions could directly affect the start of your cruise. Whenever possible, arriving early allows for extra flexibility and also turns your layover into an opportunity to explore your destination. And this is where the AEGEAN network becomes crucial once again.
A Spanish passenger embarking in Athens can fly directly to the Greek capital. However, those with an itinerary that includes embarkation or disembarkation elsewhere may consider a connection from Athens to a regional airport or take advantage of a direct route, if available, for their chosen dates. Heraklion, Rhodes, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Thessaloniki are some of the destinations that could be included in such combinations, always depending on the available schedule.
A company that continues to grow
AEGEAN continues to expand capacity and connectivity. In July 2026, it surpassed two million passengers carried in a single month for the first time, and the airline is also continuing to renew its fleet. The addition of seven more Airbus A321neo aircraft was planned for 2026 as part of its growth and modernization strategy.
But perhaps more important from a tourism perspective is the evolution of its network. The expansion of regional connections allows for better distribution of access to a country where tourism is not concentrated exclusively in Athens. And this aligns with a trend also seen in the cruise sector: the diversification of embarkation and disembarkation ports and the search for new ways to combine cruises with land-based stays.
In a country where the sea has historically been the great element connecting territories, the airplane has become another way of drawing the map of travel, and AEGEAN has spent more than two decades building precisely that map.
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