Heraklion (HER) Airport & Passenger Statistics 2024

Page last updated: 30 September 2025

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) is Greece’s second-busiest airport and the main entry port to the island of Crete, handling approximately 9 million passengers annually.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Heraklion Airport each year?

Heraklion Airport (HER) handles around 9 million passengers annually.

The airport served 9.38 million passengers in 2024 (7.6% increase from 8.72 million in 2023). This also surpassed the pre-pandemic peak of 8.1 million passengers in 2018.
Traffic dropped 69.8% to 2.4 million in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Recovery began in 2021 with a 112.2% rebound to 5.05 million passengers.
Increased to 8.1 million in 2022.

Aircraft Operations at Heraklion Airport

Heraklion Airport records over 50,000 aircraft operations annually.

There were 62,723 takeoffs and landings in 2024 (9.1% increase over 2023). This total also surpassed the pre-pandemic high of 55,680 operations in 2018.
Operations dropped to 20,876 in 2020 (pandemic year) but rose to 38,628 in 2021.

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Heraklion Airport?

The airline market at Heraklion is led by Greek carriers and major European low-cost airlines, based on 2022 market share data.

Aegean Airlines holds the largest share (40%), driven by its dominance of domestic trunk routes.
Low-cost carriers also play a major role. Ryanair and easyJet combined have a 30% market share.
The airport is also an operational hub for Greek carriers Bluebird Airways and Sky Express.

What are the monthly or seasonal trends in passenger traffic at Heraklion Airport?

Heraklion Airport experiences strong seasonality. Most traffic occurs between June and September.

Summer 2024 (June to August) saw 4.61 million passengers, a 4.5% increase over summer 2023.
These peak months can account for more than one-third of the airport’s annual traffic.
Winter traffic drops sharply and is mainly limited to essential domestic routes.
Shoulder months are showing growth, with November 2024 recording a 26.3% increase to 225,234 passengers compared to November 2023.

How many routes are there at Heraklion Airport?

Heraklion Airport provides non-stop passenger flights to over 124 destinations across 31 countries.

The network is focused heavily on European markets and the airport is a point-to-point destination rather than a transit hub. There is no direct long-haul service and passengers typically connect through major European hubs.

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Which destinations are the most popular from Heraklion Airport?

Athens (ATH) is the most popular route, with an average of 413 flights per month.
Tel Aviv (TLV) – 264 flights monthly
Düsseldorf (DUS) – 161 flights monthly
Frankfurt (FRA) – 158 flights
London Gatwick (LGW) – 150 flights per month.

How much revenue does Heraklion Airport generate each year?

Heraklion Airport generated nearly €100 million in revenue in 2023.

In 2020 (pandemic), revenue was only €17.26 million, which grew to €35.04 million in 2021.
It rose further to €47.91 million in 2022 before reaching €98.39 million in 2023.

Notable Incidents at Heraklion Airport

July 10, 2021: A Condor A320 experienced a high-speed rejected takeoff due to incorrect rudder input, damaging the nose gear. The issue was missed in inspection and later led to a MAYDAY landing.
December 15, 2022: A Smart Aviation PC-6 stalled after takeoff and crashed into the sea, killing one person and injuring another.
January 27, 2022: A Volare Aviation Challenger 604 suffered nose gear failure during landing, slid down the runway, and was damaged beyond repair. No injuries were reported.
February 12, 2009: A Sky Express Jetstream 31’s right landing gear collapsed during a hard landing, causing major damage with no injuries.
August 24, 1960: A Don Everall Viking 1B crashed into the sea after engine failure, resulting in the deaths of three crew members.

Heraklion Airport Fast Facts

Heraklion Airport is also known as Nikos Kazantzakis Airport
The airport consistently ranks as Greece’s second-busiest airport after Athens International Airport.
The airport has 2 runways.
- Runway 09/27: 2,714 m (length)
- Runway 12/30: 1,566 m

Other Airport Statistics

References

HCAA: Heraklion Airport Operational Data
HER: Heraklion Airport Annual Revenue Data
FC: Popular Destination from Heraklion Airport