Heraklion Airport Statistics & Numbers
Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) is the main gateway to Crete and one of the busiest airports in Greece. It handled 10,033,151 passengers in 2025 and connects the island to more than 120 destinations. Here are the key numbers and facts about the airport.
How many passengers use Heraklion Airport?
HER handled 10,033,151 passengers in 2025 — about 6.9% more than in 2024 — making it the second-busiest airport in Greece after Athens, ahead of Thessaloniki. Traffic is heavily seasonal, concentrated in the summer months when charter and low-cost flights fill the schedule.
Key facts at a glance
- IATA and ICAO codes: HER and LGIR
- Operator: Greek state (HASP), not the Fraport Greece concession
- Passengers (2025): 10,033,151, up from 9,384,233 in 2024
- Rank: 2nd-busiest in Greece
- Terminals: one
- Runways: two
- Destinations: 120+ across around 30 countries
- Distance to city: about 5 km east of Heraklion
Airlines and market share
Aegean Airlines is the largest operator, driven by domestic routes. The last published market shares date from 2022: Aegean Airlines around 40% of traffic, Ryanair and easyJet together roughly 30%, with Sky Express, Bluebird Airways and a long list of seasonal carriers making up the rest. Nothing more recent has been released. Counting current routes instead, schedule aggregators list about 55 airlines serving 117 to 124 destinations in 31 countries at the summer peak. See the airlines guide.
Where passengers come from
Germany is the largest international market, followed by the UK and France, with strong numbers from Poland, the Netherlands and across northern Europe — a reflection of Crete’s popularity as a summer holiday destination.
Growth and seasonality
Traffic has grown strongly with Crete’s tourism, and the rise of about 6.9% in 2025 over 2024 reflected another strong summer. The pattern is sharply seasonal: HER is stretched from June to September, when charter and low-cost flights dominate, and much quieter in winter, when domestic routes to Athens carry most of the load.
How Heraklion compares
Among Greek airports, only Athens handles more passengers — Heraklion sits ahead of Thessaloniki and the other regional airports, and among Greek airports is second only to Athens. That scale is a key reason a larger replacement airport is being built at Kastelli.
Runways and terminal
The airport operates from one passenger terminal with two runways. It is a compact site, which keeps walking distances short even under heavy summer load. The new airport at Kastelli, inland to the south-east, is being built to replace it in the coming years.
Frequently asked questions
How many passengers does Heraklion Airport handle?
10,033,151 in 2025, up about 6.9% on the previous year.
Is Heraklion the busiest airport in Greece?
It is the second-busiest, after Athens and ahead of Thessaloniki.
How many destinations does it serve?
More than 120 across around 30 countries, mostly in summer.
Who operates Heraklion Airport?
The Greek state, through HASP. HER is not part of the Fraport Greece concession, which covers 14 other regional airports including Chania. The codes are HER (IATA) and LGIR (ICAO).