Once you land in Greece, whether through Athens, Thessaloniki, or one of the island airports, flights within Greece are the fastest way to island-hop or reach different regions without spending hours on ferries. Greece has an extensive domestic flight network connecting the mainland with dozens of islands and cities, making it possible to visit multiple destinations in a short trip.

The domestic flight scene has changed significantly over the past decade. What used to be dominated by a single airline is now competitive, with multiple carriers offering routes at various price points. This means more options, better prices, and increased flexibility for travelers.

Main Airlines for Flights within Greece

Aegean Airlines

Aegean is Greece’s largest carrier and operates the majority of flights within Greece. They’re part of Star Alliance, which means if you collect miles with United, Lufthansa, or other alliance members, you can earn and redeem them on Aegean flights.

Aegean offers 8.5 million domestic seats annually with a 6% increase over previous years. The airline has expanded its domestic network with new direct routes from Heraklion to Rhodes, Naxos, Corfu, and Kos, plus new routes from Rhodes to Chania and Santorini, and from Thessaloniki to Syros.

Service is solid: free checked bag included, seat selection, snacks and drinks on board, and generally reliable schedules. They’re more expensive than budget carriers but you get what you pay for: better customer service, flexibility with changes, and fewer surprise fees.

Sky Express

Sky Express is Greece’s second-largest carrier with nearly 1.7 million seats quarterly. They started as a small island-hopping operator based in Crete and have grown massively, now operating both domestic and international routes.

Sky Express serves 35 domestic destinations year-round, making them particularly useful for reaching smaller islands that other airlines skip. Their fleet includes both ATR turboprops (perfect for short island hops) and Airbus jets for longer routes.

Prices are competitive with Aegean, sometimes slightly cheaper. They’re expanding fast and adding routes constantly, so check their schedule even if you don’t see a route listed elsewhere.

Olympic Air

Olympic Air is Aegean’s subsidiary and operates under the Aegean brand for most purposes. They handle some regional routes and smaller aircraft operations. When booking through Aegean, you might end up on an Olympic Air plane, it’s essentially the same thing in terms of service and reliability.

Ryanair

Ryanair operates limited domestic routes in Greece, mainly during summer season. They’re the budget option: rock-bottom base fares but fees for absolutely everything (bags, seats, printing boarding passes, breathing).

Consider Ryanair for domestic Greek flights if you’re traveling ultra-light with just a small backpack and the route/timing works perfectly. Otherwise, the savings versus Aegean or Sky Express are minimal once you add fees.

Main Domestic Hubs

Athens – Athens International Airport (ATH)

Athens is the biggest domestic hub by far. Athens, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion handle 4,647 domestic departing flights monthly, with Athens accounting for the majority.

From Athens, you can fly to virtually every Greek island with an airport plus mainland cities. Popular routes include Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete (both Heraklion and Chania), Corfu, Naxos, Paros, Kos, Zakynthos, and dozens more.

Flight times from Athens are short, as the the furthest island is under an hour. Most flights are 30-50 minutes, making domestic connections quick and painless.

>> Read more about: Flights to Athens

Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki International Airport (SKG)

Thessaloniki is the main northern hub, connecting northern Greece with islands and Athens. It’s particularly useful if you’re exploring northern Greece, Halkidiki, or flying into Thessaloniki from abroad and want to reach islands without backtracking to Athens.

Routes from Thessaloniki include Athens (multiple daily flights), Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Mykonos, Santorini, and other major islands, though frequencies are lower than from Athens.

>> Read more about Flights to Thessaloniki

Heraklion, Crete – Heraklion International Airport N. Kazantzakis (HER)

Heraklion has evolved into a significant domestic hub, especially with recent expansion. Aegean added four new direct routes from Heraklion to Rhodes, Naxos, Corfu, and Kos, making island-hopping from Crete much easier.

This is brilliant for travelers who want to visit Crete plus other islands without flying back to Athens each time. You can now connect directly between major island destinations.

Rhodes – Rhodes Airport “Diagoras” (RHO)

Rhodes is becoming another mini-hub. New direct flights from Rhodes to Chania and Santorini commenced in June 2025, adding to existing connections with Athens, Thessaloniki, and other islands.

If you’re island-hopping in the Dodecanese or want to visit Rhodes plus other major islands, this growing network makes routing more efficient.

Popular Routes for Flights within Greece

Athens to Santorini is one of the busiest routes. Multiple daily flights, 40-50 minutes flight time, prices ranging from €40-120 depending on how far ahead you book. Summer sees the highest frequencies and prices.

Athens to Mykonos is similarly popular and frequent. Also 40-50 minutes, with similar pricing. Book ahead for summer travel as flights fill up.

Athens to Crete (both Heraklion and Chania) has the most flights of any domestic route—sometimes 10+ flights daily in summer. Flight time is about 50 minutes to Heraklion, slightly longer to Chania.

Athens to Rhodes takes about an hour with multiple daily flights year-round. This route operates even in winter when many island routes reduce frequency.

Athens to Thessaloniki is the busiest mainland route, connecting Greece’s two largest cities. There are 30 one-way Sky Express flights weekly competing with Aegean’s 71 weekly flights. Flight time is 50-60 minutes.

Inter-island routes are expanding, particularly between major destinations. You can now fly Crete to Rhodes, Rhodes to Santorini, Heraklion to Corfu, and other combinations without routing through Athens, saving significant time.

Booking Flights within Greece

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How far ahead to book: For summer travel (June-August), book 2-3 months ahead for best prices and availability. Popular routes like Athens-Santorini and Athens-Mykonos fill up fast in peak season.

For shoulder season (April-May, September-October) or winter, 2-4 weeks ahead is usually sufficient. You might even find last-minute deals in winter when demand drops.

Check-in opens 48 hours before departure. Even if you’ve pre-paid for seat selection, checking in early matters because Greek domestic flights sometimes overbook. First checked-in passengers get priority if the flight is full.

Baggage: Aegean and Olympic Air include one checked bag (23kg) plus carry-on. Sky Express is similar. Ryanair charges for everything beyond a small personal item. Always verify baggage allowance when booking.

Carry-on restrictions: Flights to smaller islands with short runways often have strict carry-on weight limits due to aircraft weight restrictions. This particularly affects ATR turboprop flights. Pack accordingly or check your bag.

Prices and Timing

Prices for flights within Greece are reasonable compared to many countries. Budget €40-100 for one-way tickets on popular routes if you book ahead. Last-minute or peak summer prices can hit €150+.

Cheapest times: Midweek flights (Tuesday, Wednesday) are generally cheaper than weekends. Early morning and late evening flights are sometimes discounted compared to midday departures.

Most expensive times: July and August, especially weekends. Prices on routes like Athens-Santorini can double compared to May or September.

Best value months: May, June, September, and October offer warm weather with significantly cheaper flights than July-August. April and late October are even cheaper if you don’t mind slightly cooler temperatures.

Tips for a Great Experience on Flights within Greece

Arrive at the airport early during summer. Greek airports get incredibly busy in July-August, and security lines can be long. Allow 90 minutes before domestic flights in peak season, 60 minutes otherwise.

Small airports have limited facilities. Islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, and Naxos have tiny airports with minimal shops, restaurants, or seating. Don’t expect to arrive hours early and hang out comfortably.

Weather delays happen. Strong winds, especially in the Cyclades, can delay or cancel flights. Always have backup plans if you’re connecting to international flights the same day—leave several hours buffer or ideally overnight.

Gate changes are common. Pay attention to announcements and flight boards. Greek airports frequently change gates at the last minute.

Multi-island trips: If you’re visiting multiple islands, plan your route logically. Flying Athens → Crete → Rhodes → Athens is more efficient than Athens → Crete → Athens → Rhodes → Athens. The new inter-island routes make this easier than it used to be.

Loyalty programs: If you’re doing multiple domestic flights, sign up for Aegean’s Miles+Bonus program. Points accumulate quickly on domestic routes and can be used for free flights or upgrades.

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Photo credit: Melvin Heng via Flickr