Crete airports: Heraklion, Chania, Sitia and the future Kastelli

Crete is about 260 km long from west to east. Choosing the wrong airport can mean a 2-hour drive the moment you land, just when all you really want is a swim. So before booking your flights to Crete, it is worth knowing where you will be sleeping for the first few nights.

The island currently has three civil airports: Heraklion in the centre, Chania in the west and Sitia in the far east. A fourth, Kastelli, is going up south-east of Heraklion and is due to replace the current airport around 2028. Here I go through each airport, the transfers with prices checked in 2026, and then how to choose according to your itinerary.

01Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis (HER), the main gateway

Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, opened in the late 1930s, lies about 5 km east of central Heraklion, squeezed between the city and the sea. With just over 10 million passengers in 2025, it is Greece's second airport after Athens. It is run by the Greek state, unlike Chania, which has been handed over to Fraport Greece.

An airport at capacity in summer

A single 2,714 m runway, a terminal designed for far fewer people and thousands of charter flights in July and August: in high season, queues at security and check-in get noticeably longer, and passport control for non-Schengen flights can take more than 45 minutes in August. It is precisely this lack of space that justifies building Kastelli.

Flights from France, Belgium and Switzerland

Heraklion is the Cretan airport with the best links to French-speaking countries. Direct flights are almost all seasonal, roughly from April to October, with the most frequent services in July and August. Here are the routes listed for 2026:

• France: Paris-Orly (Transavia, with a few possible off-season flights), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (Aegean, easyJet, Sky Express), Nantes and Marseille (Transavia), Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Strasbourg and Toulouse (Volotea).
• Belgium: Brussels (Brussels Airlines, Corendon, Sky Express, TUI fly), Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges (TUI fly).
• Switzerland: Zurich (Edelweiss, Chair Airlines) and Geneva (easyJet, Swiss).

Some of these routes only fly once a week (Volotea's Strasbourg to Heraklion service, for example, only departs on Mondays in summer 2026). Out of season, you usually have to go via Athens, with Aegean or Sky Express, for a domestic flight of about 50 minutes.

Getting to central Heraklion

Photos : Pierre Bouyer

• City bus: the Astiko Irakleiou company links the airport to Eleftherias Square, right in the centre, in 20 to 30 minutes, roughly every 20 to 30 minutes from 6am to 11pm. A ticket costs €1.30 to €1.80 depending on the zone if bought at the kiosk or ticket machine, and €1 more on board.
• Taxi: allow about €15 to €25 to the centre in 10 to 15 minutes, with a night surcharge (from 1am to 5am). Have the price confirmed before you set off.
• KTEL bus: for Malia, Agios Nikolaos or Rethymno, intercity buses leave from Heraklion bus station, near the port; some routes also stop near the airport, but check timetables on the KTEL website.

If you are staying in the city for a few days, my complete guide to Heraklion will help you choose a neighbourhood close to the historic centre and the port.

Car hire at Heraklion airport

Most rental companies have a desk in the arrivals hall or a shuttle to a nearby car park. In July and August, a small automatic car often costs between €40 and €70 a day, compared with €20 to €35 out of season, and last-minute prices climb fast: I recommend booking 4 to 6 weeks ahead. All my advice (insurance, excess, mountain roads) is in my guide to hiring a car in Crete.

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02Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis (CHQ), the airport for the west

Chania airport is named after Ioannis Daskalogiannis, hero of the 1770 Cretan revolt against the Ottomans. It sits on the Akrotiri peninsula, above Souda Bay, about 14 km from the town. It is a joint civil and military airport: the Hellenic Air Force uses it heavily, which explains the fighter jets you may spot on the apron. It handled almost 4 million passengers in 2024, two and a half times fewer than Heraklion, and the wait is generally more bearable.

Routes from French-speaking countries

The choice is smaller than at Heraklion and entirely seasonal: Paris-Orly and Lyon with Transavia, Lyon, Nice and Nantes with easyJet in France; Brussels (Brussels Airlines, TUI fly), Charleroi (Ryanair, two flights a week until 22 October 2026) and Ostend-Bruges (TUI fly) in Belgium; Zurich (Edelweiss), Geneva and Basel-Mulhouse (easyJet) in Switzerland.

Getting to Chania by bus or taxi

• KTEL bus: €2.50 one way, a 20 to 30-minute ride to the KTEL bus station in Chania, just outside the old town. The stop is opposite departures; timetables are published on the KTEL Chania-Rethymno website.
• Taxi: allow about €25 to €35 to the town in 20 to 30 minutes, a little more for the Akrotiri villages or the west coast.
• Hire car: the most flexible option if you are heading for Balos, Elafonissi or Falassarna, about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 away by road.

To plan your first nights around the Venetian harbour and its lanes, everything is in my guide to Chania.

03Sitia (JSH), the small airport in the east

Sitia airport is about 1 km from the centre of this small town in the far east, about 135 km from Heraklion. Its 2,074 m runway could take medium-haul aircraft, but traffic remains modest. In 2026, it is served by Olympic Air (Aegean group) to Athens several times a week, and by Sky Express to Alexandroupoli and Preveza as part of public service routes. A few seasonal charter flights to northern Europe appear in some years, but there are no direct flights from France, Belgium or Switzerland.

In practice, Sitia is only worth it if you are staying in the east (Vai, Palaikastro, Zakros) and travelling via Athens. The connection then saves you about 2 hours 15 of driving from Heraklion. Otherwise, you are better off landing in Heraklion and making the most of the drive to stop along Mirabello Bay.

04Kastelli, Heraklion's future international airport

At Kastelli, in the Pediada area, about 35 km south-east of Heraklion, Crete's new international airport is being built. Work began in February 2020 on a site of about 600 hectares, 360 m above sea level. It is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Greece in recent years, with an estimated investment of at least 500 million euros.

A 35-year GMR and Terna concession

The airport is being built and will then be run for 35 years by a concession company owned by the Greek state (45.9%), the Greek construction group Terna, a subsidiary of GEK Terna (32.46%), and India's GMR Airports (21.64%), which operates Delhi airport among others. Terna is carrying out all the construction work.

Capacity and opening date

The date has slipped several times: first it was 2025, then 2027. In January 2026, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the site, launched the tender for the aeronautical systems and reconfirmed the 2028 target. I remain cautious: if your trip falls in 2028, check on your ticket which airport is actually being used, as the code and destination may change.

The future of the current airport

Once Kastelli is up and running, Nikos Kazantzakis airport will close. About 278 hectares are to be handed back to the city for a large urban regeneration project on the seafront. For travellers, the change will be noticeable: the airport will no longer be 15 minutes from central Heraklion, but it will be closer to the east of the island. The road link to Crete's new northern expressway (VOAK) is under construction.

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The right airport in Crete isn't the one with the cheapest ticket, it's the one that gets you closest to your first bed.

05Which airport to choose for your itinerary

Photos : Pierre Bouyer

• West (Chania, Kissamos, Balos, Elafonissi, Samaria): Chania, without hesitation. From Heraklion, it is about 140 km and 2 hours 15 by road to Chania.
• Centre (Heraklion, Knossos, Rethymno, Matala): Heraklion, except for Rethymno, which is roughly the same distance from both airports (about 1 hour 15 by road).
• East (Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Ierapetra, Sitia): Heraklion, with about 1 hour's drive to Agios Nikolaos and 2 hours 15 to Sitia. Sitia only if you are travelling via Athens.

Crete airports comparison table

Fly into one airport, out of the other

For a road trip of a week or more, this is the trick I recommend most: land in Chania and fly home from Heraklion (or vice versa). You cross the island once instead of twice, which saves you up to 280 km of driving. Remember to book a multi-city ticket, often barely more expensive than a return on the same route.

To build the itinerary itself, with stops from west to east, have a look at my complete guide to Crete.

06When to book your flight to Crete

The seasonality of direct flights largely shapes your trip: from November to March, most routes from French-speaking countries stop and you have to go via Athens. Summer schedules usually go on sale the previous autumn or winter; booking early is still the best way to avoid July and August fares. May, June, September and early October offer a good balance between flight frequency, weather and crowds, as I explain in my article on when to go to Crete.

07The ferry alternative

You can also arrive by sea. Overnight ferries link Piraeus, the port of Athens, to Heraklion and Chania (Souda port), with cabins and the option of bringing a car: a good choice if you are combining your trip with Athens or travelling in your own vehicle. A dedicated article on the Piraeus to Crete ferry is in the works. If you are combining the Cyclades and Crete, the fast connections with Santorini are covered in my article on the ferry between Crete and Santorini.

08Frequently asked questions

09In summary

Heraklion for the centre and east, Chania for the west, Sitia only as a connection from Athens, and an eye on Kastelli if you are travelling in 2028. If your stay covers the whole island, flying into one airport and out of the other is still the most comfortable option. All that's left is to choose your car, then dive into the Heraklion and Chania guides to plan your first few days.