New Route of the Day (24 November 2025): Aegean Airlines between Thessaloniki and Istanbul IST
Aegean Airlines continued its expansion in Türkiye on Monday 24 November by introducing flights between Greece’s second-largest city of Thessaloniki and Istanbul IST. The 490-kilometre service will be maintained 3-weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with the A320 aircraft. The carrier will compete directly against Turkish Airlines’ 2-daily service.
What they said
Stathis Trivoureas, Key Account Manager India and Turkey at Aegean Airlines, said: “We are expanding our presence from both Thessaloniki and Istanbul, connecting two historic and vibrant cities with a new direct route. It is a pleasure to celebrate the launch of our first flight in Istanbul. This new connection marks another important step in strengthening our footprint in the region, offering more travel options, more flexibility and even closer ties between Greece and Türkiye. Our operations begin with three weekly flights, providing passengers with Aegean’s award-winning service, comfort, and reliability. We look forward to welcoming our customers on board and building this route into a strong and successful bridge between the two destinations.”
Aegean Airlines expands Istanbul network
Aegean Airlines currently maintains 4-daily flights between its main hub in Athens and Istanbul. Over the previous summer, it significantly expanded its presence in Türkiye’s largest city. It launched 4-weekly operations from Heraklion, 2-weekly from Rhodes and a 2-weekly service from Mykonos. Most of the island services are summer seasonal.
Apart from flights to Istanbul IST, the carrier also serves Izmir, maintaining 4-weekly flights from Athens. This previous summer it also introduced seasonal flights between Thessaloniki and Izmir.
In contrast, fellow Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines operates 42-weekly flights between Türkiye and Greece this winter. This includes 28-weekly flights between Istanbul IST and Athens, as well as 14-weekly services between Istanbul IST and Thessaloniki.
