el.is.in.wonderland

(Disclaimer: Of course not a pocket-sized plane…)

I recently had a work trip to Western Thrace, visiting Kavala, Xanthi, and Komotini—all within a short span of two days. We traveled there by car, but on the last day, we flew back by airplane.

We arrived at Kavala Airport “Alexander the Great” at 5 PM for our 7 PM flight. The first thing that struck us was:

“Is this airport even operating…?”

“Okay where are the other people? Are we the only two who will fly? Okay maybe with that one grandpa over there…”

Long story short, the check-in counter opened around 5-ish PM. We figured, maybe it’s just because it’s a small airport. But honestly, despite being small, the airport is good—modern, clean, and efficient. Apparently, it was revamped and upgraded in early 2020 by Fraport Greece.

Personally, I love airports like this. Small, functional, and modern. Inside, there aren’t any heavy-food restaurants, just coffee shops and snacks—which makes sense, considering the airport’s remote location. I mean, who would go to such an isolated airport expecting a full meal? (Okay, maybe a small percentage of people, but you get the point!)

Now, onto the fun part: our flight. We flew with Aegean Airlines, operated by Olympic Air, and experienced some quirky moments that were new to us:

• The airport got crowded 30-45 minutes before departure time.
  For most of the evening, it felt like we had the place to ourselves, but suddenly, it became lively just before the flight!

• The final check-in process felt unique.
  Final check-in happened at the gate, where there were only three counters lined up side by side. Afterward, we entered a roped-off waiting area. It wasn’t exactly a “cage,” but it sort of felt like one—oddly amusing and a little chaotic (there weren’t even proper queue lines).
• The bus ride to the plane was hilariously short.
  To board the plane, we took a bus, but the walking distance to the plane was so short that the bus felt unnecessary—though, to be fair, there was a tiny drizzle of rain.
• The multitasking officer stole the show.
  The same lady who handled our check-in counter was also the one managing baggage and calling out passenger numbers. What I loved most was how patient everyone on the bus was while waiting for their turn to board. If this were some other countries (I won’t name names), people might have become restless and tried to push ahead!
• The tiny airplane and its charming stairs.
  I’ve never boarded a plane by climbing fewer than ten steps, but this one had such a small staircase—it was adorable! (Gemes! 🥰)

Despite its size, the interior wasn’t cramped at all. It felt perfectly comfortable for our (slightly smaller) Asian bodies. Maybe what counts as a “small plane” in Europe is still spacious for us? Just a theory!