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 well over nine million passengers in 2024 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 about 9.4 million passengers in 2024 — a jump of roughly 42% on 2023 — 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 / ICAO: HER / LGIR
- Operator: Fraport Greece
- Passengers (2024): about 9.4 million
- 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 with around 40% of traffic, driven by domestic routes. Ryanair and easyJet together account for roughly 30%, with Sky Express, Bluebird Airways and a long list of seasonal carriers making up the rest. 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 roughly 42% jump in 2024 over 2023 reflected a bumper 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 is consistently the busiest in the Fraport Greece network of fourteen regional airports. That scale is a key reason a larger replacement airport is being built at Kastelli.
Runways and terminal
The airport operates from a single passenger terminal with two runways. It is a compact, single-level 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?
About 9.4 million in 2024, up roughly 42% 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?
Fraport Greece; the codes are HER (IATA) and LGIR (ICAO).