Kefalonia leads Ionian airport growth in September as Zakynthos dips
Kefalonia grew fastest of Corfu, Zakynthos and Aktion in September 2026, and Zakynthos was the only airport to lose traffic. The four gateways handled 1,555,142 passenger movements, 57,660 more than in September 2025 and an increase of 3.9 per cent, according to provisional operator figures.
Kefalonia grew fastest
Kefalonia recorded 175,788 passenger movements, up 12.1 per cent, and its flights rose by 11.5 per cent. Aktion handled 172,554, an increase of 6.9 per cent. Corfu reached 809,593, up 4.2 per cent, and alone accounted for just over half of the combined traffic.
By the end of September, Kefalonia had handled 922,460 movements in 2026. In the whole of 2025 it recorded 893,697, Kefalonia Focus reported.
Zakynthos was the only airport to fall
Zakynthos recorded 397,207 passenger movements, down 1.2 per cent, on 3.3 per cent fewer flights. International traffic fell by 1.7 per cent to 382,228, while domestic traffic rose by 14.8 per cent to 14,979.
Aktion’s growth was mostly international
International passengers accounted for 170,047 of Aktion’s September total, an increase of 6.8 per cent. Domestic traffic rose by 16.7 per cent, but to only 2,507 movements. Flights at the gateway serving Lefkada and neighbouring mainland destinations rose by 7.4 per cent.
From January through September, Kefalonia grew by 9 per cent, Aktion by 6.8 per cent, Corfu by 6.6 per cent and Zakynthos by 2.4 per cent.
Passenger movements are not visitor totals
These totals count each arrival and departure. One traveller can therefore appear twice. Aktion also serves mainland destinations, so only part of its traffic belongs to Lefkada.
The September tables measure transport volume. They do not show how long travellers stayed, what they spent or how the traffic affected local businesses. National visitor and receipt figures for August make the same distinction in Greece’s August visitor growth outpaced travel receipts.
Further Reading
- July traffic at the Ionian gateways.
- GTP Headlines, Fraport Greece airports handle 5.7 million passengers in September, 14 October 2026.
