Aegean Airlines said yesterday passenger traffic last year grew 18 percent, helped by a network expansion and a fleet renewal program. Aegean, which flies domestic and international routes, said it carried a total of 5.23 million passengers on 54,685 flights. Passengers per flight rose to 96 from 93 in 2006. The airline said it captured a 25 percent market share at Athens International Airport, used by 65 airlines. Domestic traffic increased 10 percent to 3.35 million passengers, with international traffic up 35 percent to 1.87 million passengers, reflecting efforts for further international route expansion. Last year, Aegean launched new direct flights from Athens to Frankfurt and Munich, code-shared with Lufthansa, and increased its frequencies to Milan, Sofia and Bucharest. The carrier, which went public in June last year, is planning to add new domestic and international destinations this year.