Direct flights between Newcastle and Athens have been scrapped after two summers.
Greece’s national carrier arrived at Newcastle Airport in summer 2023, linking the North East with the Greek capital. Flights allowed passengers to connect on to AEGEAN’s network of Greek islands , including destinations less well-known than the usual tourist favourites of Rhodes, Kos and Corfu.
In its first year of flying from Newcastle, the airline reported strong demand and announced its return for 2024, with direct flights every Wednesday and Sunday from May to October. However, AEGEAN has now axed several routes across its network, with Newcastle to Athens one of them.
The route provided a vital lifeline for members of the North East’s Greek community, allowing those who have settled in the region to go home and visit family without having to make a change at a hub airport such as Paris or Amsterdam.
A spokesperson for Newcastle Airport said: “We have been informed by AEGEAN that they have taken the difficult decision to stop operating several routes in their network for next summer – unfortunately, one of these is Newcastle to Athens. We will continue to liaise with AEGEAN with the hope of seeing this route resume again in the future.
“Passengers can continue to fly between Newcastle and Athens as a one-stop connecting flight with our scheduled airlines – British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM and Air France.”
ChronicleLive has attempted to contact AEGEAN Airlines and its partner organisation Star Alliance for comment.