The two main International airports in Crete are those of Nikos Kazantzakis airport in Heraklion and Ioannis Daskalogiannis airport in Akrotiri, 15 km south-east of Chania town.
Both airports connect Crete with most of the Greek islands throughout the year, with scheduled, non-stop flights.
In summertime there are low-cost scheduled and charter flights connecting Crete with numerous European destinations.
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If you don’t choose a non-stop flight to the above airports you could take a connecting flight from Athens.
The flight from Athens to Heraklion lasts 40 minutes while Athens to Chania takes 35 minutes.
The airport in Chania is a much better option if you are heading for the west of Crete whereas the airport in Heraklion if you are heading east.
They are both civil – military airports, therefore photography is prohibited.
There is a third airport in Sitia on the eastern part of Crete, serving mostly domestic flights.
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Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport
Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis International Airport
Heraklion airport
Heraklion Airport,officially known as the Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, is located about 4 km east of Heraklion city, near the municipality of Nea Alikarnassos.
It is the second busiest airport in Greece serving approximately 5 million passengers each year.
The IATA code which is used to refer to the Heraklion Airport is HER.
All passenger flights are located in one terminal.
The Heraklion Airport serves as a hub for Aegean Airlines, Olympic Airlines, Sky Express and Cyprus Airways.
Additionally to the aforementioned airlines, Heraklion Airport also serves domestic flights to/from several Greek islands.
Chania airport
Chania Airport, officially known as the Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis International Airport, is the second largest airport in Crete, serving 1,5 passengers each year.
It is located 14 km east of the town of Chania, on the north west of Crete.
The IATA code which is used to refer to the Chania Airport is CHQ.
All passenger flights are located in one terminal.
Chania Airport serves as a hub for Aegean Airlines, Olympic Airlines and Ryanair.
Sitia airport
Sitia town features a small airport, 1,5 km north of its centre, on the eastern part of Crete.
The airport serves mostly domestic flights .
The IATA code which is used to refer to the Sitia Airport is JSH.
All passenger flights are located in one terminal.
Sitia airport serves as a hub for Olympic Airlines, Sky Express and Astra Airlines.
Domestic Flights
Domestic flights to Athens and Thessaloniki by Aegean and Olympic Airlines run throughout the year.
Charter Flights
Most charter flights to/ from European destinations run from late April or early May to the end of October.
Need to stay close to Chania airport?
Have a look at Tersanas Village (6 km from the airport).
