HER · large airport
Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport
Heraklion, Greece
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HERlarge airport
Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport
Heraklion, Greece
Explore Heraklion city guide Navigate to this airport110
Routes out
59
Destinations
LGIR
ICAO
115 ft
Elevation
TravelerPulse profile
Crete's gateway, named for a legendary Greek author.
Opened
1937
Location
Heraklion, Greece
Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR) is the primary airport serving the island of Crete and the largest island airport in Greece. Named after the renowned Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, best known for writing 'Zorba the Greek,' the airport handles millions of passengers annually, making it one of the busiest airports in Greece.
The airport is located approximately 5 kilometers east of Heraklion city center, near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It primarily serves as a major leisure and tourism hub, with heavy seasonal traffic during the summer months driven by tourists visiting Crete's beaches and historical sites.
A new international airport, Crete International Airport (Kasteli), is under development to eventually replace Heraklion as the island's primary aviation hub, with completion expected in the mid-2020s.
Terminals
The airport operates a single passenger terminal handling both domestic and international flights.
Getting to & from
Ground transport options include public buses (KTEL), taxis, and rental cars connecting the airport to Heraklion city center and other parts of Crete.
Airlines here
Major carriers include Olympic Air, Aegean Airlines, Ryanair, easyJet, and numerous European charter airlines serving seasonal routes.
Notable facts
- ›Named after Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, writer of 'Zorba the Greek.'
- ›One of the busiest airports in Greece, handling over 8 million passengers in peak years.
- ›Located approximately 5 km east of Heraklion city center near the Aegean Sea coast.
- ›A replacement airport, Kasteli Airport, is under construction to handle future capacity.
- ›The airport's runway is in close proximity to the sea, limiting expansion options.
This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.
Route map (57 destinations)
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO
Airlines serving this airport
Germanwings
4U
Aegean Airlines
A3
Air Berlin
AB
Cyprus Airways
CY
Condor Flugdienst
DE
Big Sky Airlines
GQ
Niki
HG
Harmony Airways
HQ
HQ- Business Express
HQ
Transavia Holland
HV
Luxair
LG
Lufthansa
LH
Lufthansa Cargo
LH
Jet2.com
LS
Swiss International Air Lines
LX
Egyptair
MS
Olympic Airlines
OA
Czech Airlines
OK
Austrian Airlines
OS
Pacific Southwest Airlines
PS
Ukraine International Airlines
PS
S7 Airlines
S7
Brussels Airlines
SN
Germania
ST
Aeroflot Russian Airlines
SU
President Airlines
TO
Transavia France
TO
easyJet
U2
United Feeder Service
U2
Transaero Airlines
UN
Canadian Western Airlines
W2
Maastricht Airlines
W2
TUIfly
X3
Air Bourbon
ZB
Monarch Airlines
ZB
Routes
HER → CGN4U · 320 319
HER → DUS4U · 319
HER → HAJ4U · 319
HER → HAM4U · 319
HER → STR4U · 319
HER → TXL4U · 319
HER → ATHA3 · 321 DH4 320
HER → BODA3 · 320
HER → BRUA3 · 320
HER → CDGA3 · 320
HER → DMEA3 · 320
HER → DUSA3 · 320
HER → FRAA3 · 320
HER → LEDA3 · 320
HER → MRSA3 · 320
HER → MUCA3 · 320
HER → RHOA3 · 320
HER → SKGA3 · 320
HER → TLVA3 · 320
HER → TXLA3 · 320
HER → VIEA3 · 320
HER → BSLAB · 320
HER → DRSAB · 738
HER → DUSAB · 738 321 320
HER → GRZAB · 320
HER → HAMAB · 320
HER → LEJAB · 738
HER → LNZAB · 321
HER → MUCAB · 738 320
HER → NUEAB · 738
HER → SZGAB · 321
HER → TXLAB · 738 321
HER → VIEAB · 320 321
HER → ZRHAB · 320 319
HER → LCACY · 320
HER → DUSDE · 757
HER → FRADE · 738 757
HER → HAJDE · 32S
HER → HAMDE · 32S
HER → LEJDE · 32S
HER → MUCDE · 32S
HER → STRDE · 32S
HER → SXFDE · 32S
HER → ATHGQ · J41
HER → JIKGQ · J41
HER → KGSGQ · J41
HER → MJTGQ · J41
HER → RHOGQ · J41
HER → GRZHG · 320
HER → LNZHG · 321
HER → SZGHG · 321
HER → VIEHG · 320 321
HER → BRUHQ · 320 319
HER → LILHQ · 320 319
HER → AMSHV · 73H
HER → GRQHV · 73H
HER → RTMHV · 73H
HER → LUXLG · 73H
HER → FRALH · 320
HER → MUCLH · 320
Hotels near HER
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City & Place Guide
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Passport, Visa & Immigration
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