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Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) is Greece’s second-busiest airport and the main entry port to the island of Crete, handling approximately 10 million passengers annually.
How many passengers pass through Heraklion Airport each year?
Heraklion Airport (HER) handles around 10 million passengers annually.
- The airport served 10.03 million passengers in 2025 (a 6.9% increase from 9.38 million in 2024). This also surpassed the pre-pandemic peak of 8.10 million passengers in 2018.
- Traffic dropped 69.7% to 2.40 million in 2020 due to the pandemic.
- Recovery began in 2021 with a 110.4% rebound to 5.05 million passengers.
- The passenger volume increased to 8.10 million in 2022 and 8.72 million in 2023.
Aircraft Operations at Heraklion Airport
Heraklion Airport records over 50,000 aircraft operations annually.
- There were 66,996 takeoffs and landings in 2025 (a 6.8% increase over 62,723 operations in 2024). 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.
- The operations further increased to 55,549 in 2022 and 57,473 in 2023.
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 (HER) experiences strong seasonality, with summer months driving peak volumes.
- August and July 2025 were the busiest months, handling 1.79 million and 1.70 million passengers respectively; September followed with 1.47 million passengers.
- June also remained elevated at 1.40 million, while May and October recorded 1.06 million and 1.17 million passengers respectively.
- January and February were the least busy months, serving 136,547 and 125,635 passengers respectively.
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.
Which destinations are the most popular from Heraklion Airport?
- Heraklion Airport’s international traffic is heavily concentrated in key European leisure markets, with Germany leading by a significant margin.
- Germany was the largest destination market in 2025, with 2.43 million passengers; the United Kingdom followed with 1.33 million passengers.
- France ranked third at 850,412 passengers.
- Poland and the Netherlands also recorded strong volumes, handling 466,061 and 406,310 passengers respectively.
How much cargo does Heraklion Airport handle annually?
Heraklion Airport handles a relatively modest volume of cargo each year, reflecting its strong focus on passenger and leisure traffic.
- The airport processed 327,345 kg of cargo in 2025, compared with 349,249 kg in 2024, representing a YoY (Year-on-Year) decrease of 6.3%.
- In 2023, total cargo volume stood at 469,824 kg, indicating a continued downward trend over the three-year period.
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.
More Statistics
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
References
- Heraklion Airport (Nikos Kazantzakis) — operational data, HCAA · hcaa.gr
- Heraklion Airport — financial statements · heraklion-airport.gr
- Flights from Heraklion (HER) — destination list, FlightConnections · flightconnections.com
