skg.flights Thessaloniki Airport
skg.flights Thessaloniki Airport

Guide to Thessaloniki Airport

Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia” (SKG) lies at Mikra, on the coast about 15 km south-east of the city centre, between the suburbs of Kalamaria and Thermi. It is the second-busiest airport in Greece with around seven million passengers a year and, unlike the island airports, it is busy in every month: Thessaloniki is a university and business city, the gateway to Halkidiki and the natural airport for southern Balkan travellers.

Fraport Greece opened the new terminal in 2021, next to the old one, and the main runway was extended out into the Thermaic Gulf on reclaimed land. Arrivals and departures are in the same building; the bus stops and the taxi rank are directly outside arrivals.

Transport

The X1 express bus runs around the clock to the city centre and the KTEL Makedonia station for €2; a taxi to the centre costs about €30 and takes 25–35 minutes. Halkidiki is 60–90 minutes away by transfer or hire car.

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Parking

The car parks are a short walk from the terminal, from about €3 an hour for short stays and around €12 a day for long stays. Private car parks on the airport road undercut the weekly rate and shuttle you to the door.

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Car rental

The international and local rental companies have desks in the terminal and cars in the adjacent car park. Halkidiki, Olympus and Meteora all justify a car; the city centre does not. Check the contract before crossing into North Macedonia or Bulgaria.

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Local tips

  • Winter fog is Thessaloniki’s speciality: from November to February, early-morning flights are regularly delayed or diverted to Athens or Kavala. Check the live board before you leave for the airport on a foggy morning.
  • The X1 bus stop is right outside arrivals, but the bus fills up after the evening Ryanair and Wizz waves. With big luggage, let one bus go and board the next at the front.
  • Halkidiki is not a suburb: the first beach on Kassandra is an hour away and Sithonia two. Nobody should land at 22:00 expecting a bus to Neos Marmaras.
  • The taverna strip in nearby Peraia is ten minutes away and a far better place to wait out a long delay than the terminal cafés.
  • Israel, UK and Turkey flights are non-Schengen and use the passport-control gates at the end of the pier; allow an extra 30 minutes for them in summer.

See also

Prices and timetables are indicative and change seasonally. Confirm before you travel.