The United States is now emerging as one of the most dynamic and strategic markets for Greek tourism, with major airlines essentially confirming this trend by continuously expanding their presence in Athens.
The most recent development comes from American Airlines, which just yesterday launched its new direct route between Athens and Dallas (DFW), further expanding its footprint at the country’s largest airport for the 2026 summer season.
“American Airlines is the ultimate success story for the airport, our city, and the country as a whole. This is the airline’s fifth route between the U.S. and Greece. The first was the one connecting the Greek capital with Philadelphia, followed by Chicago, New York (JFK), Charlotte, and now Dallas,”said Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing at Athens International Airport, on the occasion of the inaugural Athens-Dallas flight.
With this new connection, the U.S. airline will operate up to 35 weekly flights to and from Athens during peak season, connecting the Greek capital with five major U.S. hubs: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and now Dallas.
According to the data, American Airlines’ passenger traffic increased by 28% in 2025 compared to 2024.
“This new connection strengthens our growth in Athens. This flight reinforces our commitment to Greece. This summer, American Airlines will operate 70 daily flights from 20 destinations across Europe. We want to strengthen our European network,”emphasized Sophia Philis Ortiz, VP - Phoenix Operations at American Airlines.
Dallas Fort Worth is American Airlines’ largest hub and one of the most important aviation hubs in the world. From there, the airline operates more than 930 daily departures to over 230 destinations in 30 countries, giving Athens access to a vast network of connections in the U.S. and North America.
The addition of this route will increase American Airlines’ flights to Athens by 25% and available seat capacity by 30%, compared to the summer of 2025.
“Statistics show that there is tremendous potential for further growth in the U.S. market. The Greek National Tourism Organization is here to support this expansion that connects us with the U.S. This is a market of particular importance, given that Americans are among the visitors with the highest per-capita spending when they visit Greece,”said Andreas Fiorentinos, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization .
The growth of the American market
According to available data, in 2025 the U.S. ranked first among the ten most important foreign visitor markets for Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” with approximately 1.18 million passengers and a 12% increase compared to 2024, a fact that highlights the momentum the U.S. market has developed in recent years for Athens as a destination.
Indicative of the high demand recorded from the U.S. market is the further 10% increase in passenger traffic during the four-month period from January to April, compared to the same period in 2025.
The U.S. is a market of great importance for Greek tourism, as it boosts the sector’s performance, given that travelers from the U.S. are among the high-income visitors who spend large amounts of money during their vacations.
Accordingly, according to data from the Bank of Greece for 2025, American visitors spent an average of 1,066 euros, an increase of 85 euros compared to 2024.