Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis"

International airport serving Heraklion, Crete, Greece From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR) is the primary airport on the island of Crete, Greece, and the country's second busiest airport after Athens International Airport. It is located about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the main city centre of Heraklion, near the municipality of Nea Alikarnassos. It is a shared civil/military facility. The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos Kazantzakis, a Greek writer and philosopher. Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is Crete's main and busiest airport, serving Heraklion (Ηράκλειο), Aghios Nikolaos (Άγιος Νικόλαος), Malia (Mάλλια), Hersonissos (Χερσόνησος), Stalida (Σταλίδα), Sisi (Σίσι) Elounda (Ελούντα) and other resorts.

AirporttypePublic / military
OwnerGreek State
ServesHeraklion
LocationHeraklion, Crete, Greece
Quick facts Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ηρακλείου"Νίκος Καζαντζάκης", Summary ...
Heraklion International Airport
"Nikos Kazantzakis"
Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ηρακλείου
"Νίκος Καζαντζάκης"
Summary
Airport typePublic / military
OwnerGreek State
ServesHeraklion
LocationHeraklion, Crete, Greece
OpenedMarch 1939 (1939-03)
Hub for
Elevation AMSL115 ft (35 m)
Coordinates35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E
Websitewww.heraklion-airport.gr
Map
HER/LGIR is located in Greece
HER/LGIR
HER/LGIR
Location of airport in Greece
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,714 8,800 Asphalt
12/30 1,566 5,138 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers9,384,233
Passenger traffic changeIncrease 7.6
Aircraft movements62,723
Aircraft movements changeIncrease 9.1%
Sources: Runways[1] Statistics: Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority[2]
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A new airport for Heraklion, located 39 km (24 mi) to the south-east of the city at Kasteli, is under construction and due to open by 2027.[3] Once completed, the new Kasteli International Airport will replace the current Heraklion International Airport as the hub for central Crete, but also providing international links for all of Crete.

History

The airport first opened in March 1939. At that time, this was merely a piece of flat agricultural land. The first aeroplane (a Junkers Ju 52) carried the initial passengers to the site. During the Second World War, the airfield was the site of the Battle of Heraklion during the Battle of Crete, in 1941. Civilian operations ceased; but in the autumn of 1946, traffic resumed, introducing the DC-3 aircraft.[4]

At first, the airport only offered very basic service, with only primitive installations on the site in the form of three tents, smoke for wind determination, and storm lamps for runway lighting.[citation needed]

In 1947, the first (small) terminal was erected. Hellenic Airlines started commercial flights in 1948. At that time, a total of 4,000 people were served.[citation needed] The year 1953 saw the construction of a paved runway which was initially 1,850 meters long and oriented as 09/27. The next major event followed in 1954, when a four-engined DC-4 aircraft landed for the first time at the airport. In that year, the airport handled approximately 18,000 passengers. From 1957 onward, the new Olympic Airways used the airport, starting services with the DC-6 aircraft.[citation needed]

From 1968 until 1971, the runway was extended to 2,680 m (8,790 ft) and a new terminal and other facilities were constructed, essentially making it a new airport. On 18 March 1971, the first charter flight from abroad operated to the airport. The new airport itself was officially inaugurated on 5 May 1972.[citation needed]

In 2025, farmers protesting against the delayed payment of European Union subsidies occupied the airport's apron, resulting in disruptions to aviation.[5]

The airport is scheduled to cease operations in 2027 and to be replaced by the (expanded and renamed) Kasteli Airport.[6]

Terminal extension

The latest airport expansion projects began in October 2017.[7][8][9][10]

The latest extension began in October 2017 and was completed on 30 March 2018, in time for the airport's high season.[11][12][13]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Heraklion Airport:

More information Airlines, Destinations ...
AirlinesDestinations
Aegean Airlines Athens,[14] Istanbul,[15] Larnaca,[16] Munich,[17] Rhodes,[15] Thessaloniki,[18] Tirana[19]
Seasonal: Alexandroupoli,[20] Corfu,[21] Frankfurt,[22] Kalamata,[23] Kos,[21] Metz/Nancy,[24] Mykonos,[25] Mytilene,[26] Naxos,[21] Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[27] Paros,[28] Rome–Fiumicino,[29] Santorini,[30] Syros,[31] Tel Aviv,[32] Zurich[33]
Seasonal charter: Friedrichshafen,[34] Memmingen,[35] Münster/Osnabrück,[36] Pristina[37]
Aer Lingus Seasonal: Dublin[38]
Air Astana Seasonal: Almaty[39]
Air Serbia Seasonal: Belgrade[40]
airBaltic Seasonal: Riga,[41] Tallinn,[42] Vilnius[42]
airHaifa Seasonal: Haifa[43]
Animawings Seasonal: Bucharest–Otopeni,[44] Cluj-Napoca,[45] Oradea,[44] Suceava,[46] Timișoara[47]
Austrian Airlines Seasonal: Vienna[48]
Avion Express Seasonal charter: Vilnius[49]
Azerbaijan Airlines Seasonal: Baku[50]
BlueBird Airways Seasonal: Tel Aviv[51]
British Airways Seasonal: London–Gatwick,[52] London–Heathrow
Brussels Airlines Seasonal: Brussels[53]
Bulgaria Air Seasonal: Sofia[54]
Chair Airlines Seasonal: Zurich[55]
Condor Seasonal: Berlin,[56] Frankfurt, Hamburg,[57] Munich,[57] Stuttgart[58]
Corendon Airlines Seasonal: Antalya,[59] Berlin,[60] Cologne/Bonn,[59] Düsseldorf,[61] Graz,[62] Hannover,[63] Hurghada,[59] Ljubljana,[64] London–Gatwick,[65] Palma de Mallorca,[59] Manchester,[65] Münster/Osnabrück,[59] Nuremberg,[59] Rostock,[61] Stuttgart,[66] Tel Aviv,[67] Vienna[68]
Corendon Dutch Airlines Seasonal: Amsterdam,[69] Brussels,[70] Groningen,[71] Maastricht/Aachen[72]
Cyprus Airways Larnaca[73]
Discover Airlines Frankfurt,[74] Munich[75]
easyJet Seasonal: Basel/Mulhouse,[76] Birmingham,[77] Bordeaux,[78] Bristol,[79] Edinburgh,[80] Geneva,[81] Liverpool,[82] London–Gatwick,[79] London–Luton,[83] Lyon,[84] Manchester,[79] Milan–Malpensa,[85] Nantes,[86] Naples,[87] Paris–Charles de Gaulle[88]
Edelweiss Air Seasonal: Zurich[89]
Enter Air Seasonal charter: Warsaw–Chopin[90]
Eurowings Seasonal: Berlin,[91] Cologne/Bonn,[92] Düsseldorf,[93] Graz,[94] Hamburg,[95] Nuremberg,[96] Prague,[97] Salzburg,[98] Stuttgart[99]
FlyOne Seasonal: Chișinău,[100] Yerevan[101]
Helvetic Airways Seasonal: Bern[102]
ITA Airways Seasonal: Rome–Fiumicino[103]
Jet2.com Seasonal: Belfast–International,[104] Birmingham,[105] Bournemouth,[106] Bristol,[107] East Midlands,[108] Glasgow,[109] Leeds/Bradford,[110] Liverpool,[111] London–Gatwick,[112] London–Luton,[113] London–Stansted,[110] Manchester,[110] Newcastle upon Tyne[114]
LEAV Aviation Seasonal: Cologne/Bonn,[115] Erfurt-Weimar (begins 2 July 2026)[116]
LOT Polish Airlines Seasonal: Warsaw–Chopin[117]
Lufthansa Seasonal: Frankfurt,[118] Munich[119]
Luxair Seasonal: Luxembourg[120]
Marabu Seasonal: Hamburg,[121] Leipzig/Halle[122]
Neos Seasonal: Bergamo,[123] Bologna,[124] Milan–Malpensa,[124] Rome–Fiumicino,[124] Verona[125]
Norwegian Air Shuttle Seasonal: Copenhagen,[126] Oslo[126]
Ryanair Thessaloniki (ends 23 October 2026)[127][128]
Seasonal: Bergamo,[129] Berlin,[130] Bologna,[131] Catania,[132] Charleroi,[133] Milan–Malpensa,[134] Vienna[135]
Saudia Seasonal: Jeddah[136]
Scandinavian Airlines Seasonal: Copenhagen,[137] Oslo[citation needed]
Seasonal charter: Gothenburg[138]
Sky Express Athens,[139] Rhodes,[139] Thessaloniki,[139] Tirana[140]
Seasonal: Brussels,[141] Larnaca,[142] Lyon,[143] Marseille,[143] Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[139] Volos[144][145]
Seasonal charter: Belgrade,[146] Bucharest–Otopeni,[143] Cluj-Napoca,[143] Iași,[143] Lisbon,[147] Košice,[143] Oradea,[143] Pardubice,[143] Sibiu,[143] Suceava,[143] Târgu Mureș,[143] Timisoara,[143] Weeze[148]
SkyUp Seasonal: Chișinău,[149] Katowice[150]
Smartwings Seasonal: Bratislava,[151] Brno,[152] Košice,[153] Ostrava,[152] Prague[154]
Seasonal charter: České Budějovice,[155] Debrecen (begins 11 June 2026),[156] Karlovy Vary,[157]
Sundair Seasonal: Bremen[158]
Sundor Seasonal: Tel Aviv[159]
Swiss International Air Lines Seasonal: Geneva[160]
Transavia Amsterdam[161]
Seasonal: Brussels,[162] Eindhoven,[163] Marseille,[164] Nantes,[165] Paris–Orly,[166] Rotterdam/The Hague[167]
TUI Airways Seasonal: Birmingham,[168]Bournemouth,[169] Bristol,[170] Cardiff,[171] East Midlands,[172] Exeter,[173] London–Gatwick,[174] London–Stansted,[175] Manchester,[176] Newcastle upon Tyne,[177] Norwich[178]
TUI fly Belgium Seasonal: Antwerp,[179] Brussels,[180] Ostend/Bruges[181]
TUI fly Deutschland Seasonal: Düsseldorf,[182] Frankfurt,[182] Hannover,[182] Munich,[182] Stuttgart[182]
TUI fly Netherlands Seasonal: Amsterdam,[183] Eindhoven,[184] Rotterdam/The Hague[184]
Volotea Seasonal: Bordeaux,[185] Brest,[186] Lille,[187] Lyon,[188] Marseille,[189] Nantes,[190] Naples,[191] Palermo,[192] Strasbourg,[193] Toulouse,[194] Verona[195]
Vueling Seasonal: Barcelona[196]
Wizz Air Seasonal: Cluj-Napoca,[197] Sofia, Tel Aviv[198]
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Statistics

Traffic figures

PassengersYear3,000,0004,000,0005,000,0006,000,0007,000,0008,000,0009,000,00019901995200020052010201520202025PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

Historical annual traffic statistics[199][200][201]

More information Year, Flights ...
YearFlightsPassengersPassengers change (%)
200139,2905,046,726Decrease 2.0
200236,6644,791,729Decrease 5.1
200339,5234,833,507Increase 0.9
200438,1704,712,508Decrease 2.5
200538,2664,932,911Increase 4.7
200643,7405,345,652Increase 8.4
200746,0125,438,369Increase 1.7
200845,2805,437,068Decrease 0.02
200944,8425,052,840Decrease 7.1
201042,3964,907,337Decrease 2.9
201144,5205,292,687Increase 7.9
201240,8565,076,329Decrease 4.6
201343,5445,792,429Increase 14.7
201443,6376,024,958Increase 5.2
201543,9706,057,355Increase 0.5
201647,8046,742,746Increase 11.3
201751,1147,336,783Increase 8.8
201855,6808,098,465Increase 10.4
201952,2947,933,558Decrease 2.0
202020,8762,398,264Decrease 69.8
202138,6285,046,236Increase 112.2
202255,5498,099,255Increase 60.5
202357,4738,723,031Increase 7.7
202462,7239,384,233Increase 7.6
202566,99610,033,151Increase 6.9
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Other facilities

The airline Bluebird Airways has its head office at the airport.[202] Sky Express maintains a lounge at the airport.[203]

See also

References

External links

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