YYC Calgary International Airport and Athens International Airport have signed a five-year cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening travel and trade links between the two cities and building the case for a future nonstop air service.
The Memorandum of Cooperation establishes a “Sister Airport” relationship between Calgary Airports, which operates YYC, and Athens International Airport S.A. It provides a framework for sharing expertise, promoting both destinations and exploring opportunities to increase passenger and cargo traffic.
The agreement does not announce a new airline route. Scheduled nonstop flights between Calgary and Athens remain a long-term objective.
Building Demand for a Calgary–Athens Connection
The partnership will seek to encourage more travel between Western Canada and Greece, drawing on tourism demand and established family and community ties between the two countries.
For travellers from Calgary and Western Canada, the initiative aims to raise the profile of Athens and Greece. In the other direction, the airports want to attract more Greek visitors to Calgary, Alberta and the Canadian Rockies.
Balazs Bogats, Chief Commercial Officer at Calgary Airports, said the partnership would help turn that mutual interest into an opportunity for a future nonstop connection. He highlighted family ties and interest in travel, culture and hospitality as reasons to develop the market.
Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications and Marketing at Athens International Airport, said a direct service could support tourism, business, investment and trade while bringing the two communities closer.
Cooperation to Cover Passenger and Cargo Operations
Beyond destination promotion, the airports will explore knowledge sharing and collaboration across areas of mutual interest in passenger and cargo operations.
The five-year framework is intended to support innovation, growth and connectivity as the airports work to strengthen the commercial case for a direct link.
No airline, launch date or flight schedule has been announced.
Two Gateways With Extensive International Networks
YYC Calgary International Airport welcomed 19.4 million passengers in 2025 and served 108 nonstop destinations.
Athens International Airport handled 34 million passengers in the same year, with 70 airlines connecting the Greek capital to 164 destinations across 55 countries.
The cooperation agreement brings those networks into a closer working relationship, with destination promotion and expertise sharing providing the first steps toward a possible Calgary–Athens route.
