--- iata: HER name: Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" city: Heraklion country: Greece lastUpdated: '2026-09-03' officialWebsite: 'https://www.heraklion-airport.info/' sources: - 'https://www.heraklion-airport.info/' - >- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraklion_International_Airport_%22Nikos_Kazantzakis%22 - >- https://www.goldair-handling.gr/our-services/lounges/international-airport-of-heraklion-crete-n-kazantzakis/ - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/greece/heraklion-international-nikos-kazantzakis/her1-goldair-handling-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/lounges/greece/heraklion-kazantzakis-intl/filoxenia-lounge-extra-schengen - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/lounges/greece/heraklion-kazantzakis-intl/filoxenia-lounge-intra-schengen - >- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraklion_International_Airport_%22Nikos_Kazantzakis%22 - 'https://www.heraklion-airport.info/' - 'https://www.ypa.gr/en/' - 'https://astiko-irakleiou.gr/' quickFacts: - >- Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (IATA HER / ICAO LGIR) sits ~5 km east of Heraklion centre at Nea Alikarnassos on Crete’s north coast. It is Greece’s second-busiest airport after Athens and Crete’s main gateway — not a Fraport Greece concession airport (unlike CHQ/RHO/JMK); day-to-day passenger ops sit under the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority / Greek State. Do not confuse HER with Chania (CHQ) in western Crete or the future Kasteli replacement field inland. - >- HCAA-sourced traffic tables put HER at 10,033,151 passengers in 2025 (+6.9% vs 9,384,233 in 2024) with about 66,996 aircraft movements — the first year above 10 million. Traffic is violently seasonal: July–August banks can feel like a major hub crammed into a mid-size shell; winter is a different, quieter airport. - >- One passenger terminal complex with Schengen and non-Schengen airside splits after screening/passport control. Primary runway 09/27 about 2,714 × 45 m asphalt; secondary 12/30 about 1,566 m. Field elevation ~115 ft / 35 m. Shared civil/military site — you will see Hellenic Air Force activity, but this is a full commercial leisure airport, not a closed airbase. - >- No rail on Crete. Default ground options are the urban bus (Astiko Irakleiou) into Heraklion, the official taxi rank, rental cars, and pre-booked resort transfers for Hersonissos / Malia / Agios Nikolaos corridors. Intercity KTEL coaches for distant towns usually connect via the city bus stations, not a dedicated airport long-haul hub. - >- Security follows standard EU/HCAA cabin-liquids rules (containers ≤100 ml in one clear ≤1 L bag). Peak-summer check-in and security queues — not walking distance — are the main way to miss a flight. Build 2.5–3 hours for busy Jul–Aug charter/LCC banks; off-season 2 hours is usually enough. - >- Airside lounges are seasonal and zone-specific: Goldair Handling Lounge (non-Schengen; Priority Pass) plus Filoxenia Intra-Schengen and Extra Schengen rooms (Priority Pass). Confirm your flight’s Schengen vs non-Schengen path and live lounge hours in the Priority Pass / Goldair apps before you rely on them — winter closures are real. bentoTips: - label: Timing title: 'Summer HER is a capacity problem, not a navigation problem' detail: >- From late spring through early autumn, overlapping Aegean/Sky Express domestics, Ryanair/easyJet/Jet2/TUI/Condor/charter banks, and bag-drop desks overwhelm landside faster than the building’s footprint suggests. Online check-in and cabin-bag-only travel remove the worst queue. Same-day ferry or east-Crete hotel check-ins need buffer after landing, not before — airborne time from European cities is short; HER ground delay is not. summary: >- In Jul–Aug arrive 2.5–3 hours before departure; winter/shoulder 2 hours usually clears check-in and security. category: timing - label: Terminal title: One campus — Schengen vs non-Schengen decides your airside life detail: >- After security, follow Schengen / non-Schengen (extra-Schengen) signage before you commit to a café or lounge. Filoxenia Intra-Schengen sits near Gate A1; Filoxenia Extra Schengen is near Gate B11 after passport control; Goldair Handling Lounge is also on the non-Schengen side after passport control (stairs/lift to the upper level). Remote stands and bus boarding are common — listen for gate calls early. summary: >- Single terminal, but lounge and F&B access depend on whether your flight is Schengen or non-Schengen — check the screen, not memory. category: terminal - label: Food title: Eat a real meal in town if the schedule allows detail: >- HER has cafés, snack bars, and duty-free retail airside and landside, but peak banks mean long lines and picked-over displays. Heraklion’s harbour and market restaurants still beat anything in the departure hall. If you must eat airside, clear security first, then queue immediately — seating vanishes when three boards call at once. summary: >- Acceptable café/snack fuel only; do not plan a leisurely airside dinner in August. category: food - label: Status title: Watch summer overload — and the coming Kasteli move detail: >- Typical disruption modes are peak-day congestion, late charter waves, occasional industrial or weather holds on the main 09/27 runway, and apron bus delays in heat. A new Kasteli (Kastelli) airport inland is under construction to replace HER on a multi-year timeline often cited around 2027–2028 — until it actually opens and traffic migrates, treat Nikos Kazantzakis as the live commercial field and re-check transfer advice close to travel. summary: >- Peak-season queues and single-runway pressure dominate; Kasteli is the future replacement, not today’s passenger terminal. category: status lounges: - name: Goldair Handling Lounge zone: airside hours: >- Seasonal. Goldair lists daily 11:00–24:00 except Tue & Thu 08:00–24:00, with season end 1 November 2026 (then winter closure — confirm live). Priority Pass often shows ~08:00–23:59 when open. access: - Priority Pass - LoungeKey / DragonPass when contracted - Airline / paid walk-up when space allows bestFor: - Non-Schengen departures that need a seat away from the gate crush - Priority Pass holders in summer summary: >- Airside non-Schengen lounge after passport control (turn left, stairs or lift to the first floor). Best HER Priority Pass product when your flight is extra-Schengen and the room is in season — sea views over the Cretan Sea, light buffet, not a flagship spa. Capacity limits and winter closure are the failure modes; always check the app the same day. verdict: worth-it terminal: Main Terminal amenities: - Cold snacks and Cretan-inspired light food - Soft drinks / beer / wine / spirits (standard lounge pour) - Wi-Fi - Sea-view seating / air-conditioning - Flight monitors - name: Filoxenia Lounge (Intra-Schengen) zone: airside hours: >- Priority Pass lists 06:00–22:00 daily (confirm in-app; max stay often ~3 hours) access: - Priority Pass - LoungeKey / DragonPass when contracted - Paid / partner access when offered bestFor: - Schengen and domestic departures - Morning banks when Goldair is the wrong side of passport control summary: >- Airside after passport control near Gate A1 for Intra-Schengen / domestic flows. Useful summer refuge when your flight never enters the non-Schengen pier — do not walk to Goldair/Filoxenia Extra Schengen or you may not be able to return. Reviews and capacity vary; treat it as seating insurance, not fine dining. verdict: worth-it terminal: Main Terminal amenities: - Light refreshments and drinks - Wi-Fi - Air-conditioning / quieter seating - Flight information screens - name: Filoxenia Lounge (Extra Schengen) zone: airside hours: >- Priority Pass lists ~11:00–00:00 most days (Saturday often longer); closed in winter roughly 1 November–31 March — confirm live. access: - Priority Pass - LoungeKey / DragonPass when contracted - Paid / partner access when offered bestFor: - Non-Schengen Priority Pass holders when Goldair is full or closed - Late evening extra-Schengen departures in season summary: >- Airside extra-Schengen area after passport control and security, near Gate B11. Overlaps Goldair’s non-Schengen niche with its own winter closure window. Max stay commonly ~3 hours; children under 2 often free. Pick this or Goldair based on live wait, hours, and which door your boarding pass actually allows. verdict: depends terminal: Main Terminal amenities: - Soft drinks and standard alcoholic drinks - Light snacks - Wi-Fi - Air-conditioning - TVs / flight information waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside / airside retail bottled water zone: landside price: >- €0.50 for 500 ml regulated bottled water at participating airport kiosks (confirm at till) summary: >- Greek airport kiosks are required to offer regulated-price bottled water to standing customers; €0.50 / 500 ml is the usual posted rate when the scheme is in force. Buy before a long apron walk — July heat is unforgiving. location: >- Convenience kiosks and cafés in the departures public hall and after security in both Schengen and non-Schengen hold rooms (follow retail signage near check-in and gate clusters) terminal: Main Terminal isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside café bottled water zone: airside price: Typically €1–€2.50 per small bottle at café pricing (confirm at till) summary: >- After screening, cafés sell chilled bottles at higher café mark-ups. Fine if you already cleared security empty-handed; worse value than the regulated kiosk bottle landside. location: >- Cafés and snack bars after security in the Schengen and non-Schengen departure areas near the central gate corridors terminal: Main Terminal - kind: refill name: Bottle refill after security summary: >- Traveler reports of washroom tap refills exist, but HER does not publish a guest fountain programme comparable to newer Fraport Greece terminals. Safest plan: carry an empty bottle through screening only if you accept tap water, otherwise buy the regulated kiosk bottle. location: >- No reliably signed public bottle-filling fountain is published for HER — do not plan on a free refill point terminal: Main Terminal airportistScore: 6.1 slug: her region: Europe --- > Markdown for [/airports/her](/airports/her). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/her) - [Lounge directory](/airports/her/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" (HER) Heraklion, Greece · Europe Greece’s #2 airport by passengers: a compact coastal leisure gateway that is easy to navigate but chronically overcrowded in July–August, with seasonal Priority Pass lounges and simple bus/taxi links into Heraklion — not a Fraport Greece field, and due to be replaced by Kasteli. ## Airportist Score **6.1 / 10** - Comfort: 5.2 - Navigation: 6.8 - Food: 5.5 - Transport: 7.2 - Disruption resilience: 5.4 ## At a glance - Passengers: 10,033,151 (2025, HCAA-sourced) - Terminals: 1 passenger complex (Schengen / non-Schengen split) - Typical security: 22 min - On-time: 74% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - Summer leisure arrivals to central and eastern Crete resorts - Priority Pass holders on non-Schengen flights when Goldair is open - City stays in Heraklion using the urban bus or a short taxi ## Watch out for - Jul–Aug check-in and security queues that behave like a major hub - Schengen vs non-Schengen lounge mismatch if you walk the wrong side - Seasonal lounge closures in winter - No rail — and long resort transfers without a pre-booked ride ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/her/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/her/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/her/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/her/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/her/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/her/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/her/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/her/reviews.md)