The further expansion of its presence in Greece, with the prospect of operating routes throughout the year and, at a later stage, adding a second Greek destination, is being considered by Air Canada, following the announcements for the extension of its existing routes until January.
After 16 years of presence in the Greek market and with traffic between Canada and Athens at historically high levels, the Canadian airline sees room for the next step.
In this context, during yesterday's presentation of the company's plans, its management left open the possibility that another Greek destination may be added to its network in the future, beyond Athens, clarifying, however, that this is not an immediate plan.
Thessaloniki is among the possible options that could be considered in the future, without excluding island destinations, such as Crete, Santorini or Rhodes.
As regards the duration of the flight season, Air Canada has already moved in the direction of significantly extending it, gradually reducing the period during which direct Athens - Canada connections are suspended. This choice is linked to stronger demand outside the traditional summer peak and to the company's strategy for a stronger presence in the Greek market.
In this direction, the short-term planning of Canada's national carrier provides for the first time the operation of direct flights between Athens and Canada until and through most of January 2027, significantly reducing the winter interruption of the routes. After a short break, the connections will resume on March 6, 2027.
At the peak of the summer season, the schedule will be strengthened to 11 weekly flights from Toronto and 10 from Montreal. As stated by Stefano Casaregola, Air Canada's Regional Director for Greece, Italy and Cyprus, passenger traffic to and from Athens in the period January - August 2026 is recording an increase of 13.5% year-on-year, while demand in the periods before and after the summer peak has almost doubled.
"Greece is no longer just a market we serve, it is a market we continue to 'build'," he said characteristically.
From the side of Athens International Airport (AIA), Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing, described the expansion of direct flights as "a substantial vote of confidence in Athens and the prospects of the Greek market," noting that it significantly strengthens Athens' connectivity with North America.
Winter demand
At the same time, the data of Athens International Airport reflect the gradual strengthening of the market outside summer. Traffic between Canada and Athens during the low-demand period of November - March has almost doubled, from about 23,000 passengers in 2018 - 2019 to 45,000 in the 2025 - 2026 period, recording an increase of 16% in the last winter season alone.
A similar trend is recorded from the USA, with winter traffic to the Greek capital having increased from 200,000 passengers in 2018 - 2019 to 313,000 in the 2025 - 2026 period, marking a rise of 9%.
The USA is of particular importance for Air Canada's growth model in Athens, as approximately one quarter of the traffic carried by the company is linked to the American market. Beyond Canada, the routes offer easy access to major business centers in the USA, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, providing connecting passengers with the possibility of completing US entry procedures already at Canadian air hubs.
Record for the Canadian market
Total passenger traffic between Canada and Athens closed 2025 at a historic high, with approximately 420,000 round-trip passengers, compared with just 91,000 in 2012. The rise continued in the first eight months of 2026, with traffic increasing by 6.7% year-on-year.
Canada has developed into Athens' 9th largest international tourism market and the second largest long-haul market, while Air Canada itself is now the second largest airline in Athens in terms of the North American market.
The company started flying to Greece in 2010, with a significant part of the initial demand coming from the Greek diaspora. Since then, Athens has developed into one of its strong Mediterranean markets, with Air Canada's traffic having increased from about 46,000 passengers in 2012 to 366,000 in 2025.
The strengthening of the Greek market coincides with a broader phase of growth in Air Canada's international network. For the summer of 2027, the company has scheduled six new international connections: Vancouver - Guangzhou, Montreal - Dubrovnik, Toronto - Oslo, Toronto - Shannon, Toronto - Nice and Montreal - Basel.
The profile of Canadians
Indicative of the momentum that the Canada - Greece connection has gained is also the profile of Canadian visitors. According to AIA research, travelers from the other side of the Atlantic stay in Greece for an average of 16 days, four of which are in Athens, while 88% travel mainly for holidays.
After the Greek capital, among the most popular destinations are Santorini, Crete and Paros, while 33% combine their trip with a city break in Athens. Satisfaction is also particularly high, with 69% stating that Athens exceeded their expectations and 99% stating an intention to visit it again.
Air Canada has a network of more than 200 destinations on six continents and serves Athens mainly with Boeing 787 Dreamliner.