Air Arabia has launched direct flights from Sharjah to Athens, giving UAE travellers a new low-cost connection to the Greek capital. The new route commenced on 28 June 2024, operated jointly by the Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA) and Air Arabia, with flights running four times weekly.
Route Details and Schedule
The Sharjah–Athens service operates every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Flight G9684 departs Sharjah at 09:10 local time, arriving in Athens at 13:15; the return service G9685 departs Athens at 14:05 and lands back in Sharjah at 20:00. The route covers approximately 3,285 kilometres, and no other carrier currently flies direct between the two cities. Future schedules to increase the frequency of these flights have already been prepared.
Strategic Development and Expansion
Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, described the new service as a significant addition to the airport's strategic development and expansion plan. "The launch of the new air route to Greece involves providing more of passengers' preferred global destinations and diversifying options for them, in line with the growing demand in the travel and cargo sectors between the UAE and Greece," he said. The inaugural flight ceremony was graced by the presence of Al Midfa alongside other senior leadership teams from SAA and Air Arabia.
Antonis Alexandridis, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the UAE, also attended the launch, underscoring the diplomatic and bilateral dimension of the new connection.
Enhancing Air Arabia's EU Network
Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, highlighted that Athens is the third EU destination created from Sharjah, together with Milan and Krakow. "Athens is the latest addition to our expanding EU network from Sharjah. It enables passengers across the UAE and beyond to discover Greece with our value-for-money services," he said.
The new UAE Greece flights are expected to increase passenger traffic between the two countries and strengthen bilateral ties in economy, tourism, and trade.
