AA to link Athens with New York JFK

American Airlines is starting a third daily direct flight between Athens and the US on May 6, connecting the Greek capital with New York’s JFK International Airport. It is added to existing services to Chicago and Philadelphia, with the US carrier offering 80% more seats to Greece this summer than in 2019 – for a total of 281,292.

AA will this year utilize bigger aircraft and operate more flights to Athens, to offer 47% more seats than last year on its Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 777-220 airplanes.

Athens International Airport Director of Communications and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou noted at an event on Tuesday that the US market is particularly important for the Greek capital, having grown three-and-a-half times between 2013 and 2019: In the last year before the pandemic there were 586,000 arrivals from the US, against just 128,000 in 2013.

Last year the US market was second only to the German one in international tourism arrivals, reaching some 300,000.

AA officials told reporters the carrier is marking its 15 years in Athens with an expanded presence and offering an upgraded experience.