Airport type Public / Military Serves Heraklion Elevation AMSL 115 ft / 35 m Code HER Phone +30 281 039 7129 Passenger count 6,865,681 | Owner Greek State Hub for Sky Express Address Heraklion 716 01, Greece Elevation 35 m Yearly aircraft movements 43,970 Opened 1937 | |
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Focus city for Aegean Airlines
Ellinair Similar Location Voiture Crete, Car Hire at Heraklion Airport, Heraklion Taxi Services, Cretarent, Taxi in CRETE ''Crete Ta | ||
Arrivail at heraklion international airport nikos kazantzakis her rwy 09
Heraklion International Airport, “Nikos Kazantzakis” (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR) is the primary airport on the island of Crete, Greece, and the country’s second busiest airport after Athens International Airport. It is located about 5 km east of the main city center of Heraklion, near the municipality of Nea Alikarnassos. It is a shared civil/military facility.
Contents
- Arrivail at heraklion international airport nikos kazantzakis her rwy 09
- History
- Traffic figures
- Other facilities
- Trivia
- References
The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos Kazantzakis, a Greek writer and philosopher. Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is Crete’s main and busiest airport, serving Heraklion (Ηράκλειο), Aghios Nikolaos (Άγιος Νικόλαος), Malia (Mάλλια), Hersonissos (Χερσόνησος), Stalida (Σταλίδα), Elounda (Ελούντα) and other resorts.
Annual traffic statistics – 16-year history
History
The airport first opened in March 1939. This was then merely a piece of flat agricultural land. The first aeroplane (a Junkers Ju-52) carried the first passengers to the site. During the Second World War operations ceased, but in the fall of 1946 traffic ressumed, introducing the DC-3 aircraft.
At first, the airport only offered very basic service, with only primitive installations on the site, in the form of three tents, smoke for wind determination and storm lamps for runway lighting.
In 1947, the first (small) terminal was erected. Hellenic Airlines started commercial flights in 1948. At that time, a total of 4,000 people were served. The year 1953 saw the construction of a paved runway which was initially 1,850 meters long and oriented as 09/27. The next major event followed in 1954, when a four-engined DC-4 aircraft landed for the first time at the airport. In that year the airport handled approximately 18,000 passengers. From 1957 onward, the new Olympic Airways used the airport, starting services with the DC-6 aircraft.
From 1968 until 1971, the runway was extended to 2,680 meters and a new terminal and other facilities were constructed, essentially making it a new airport. On March 18, 1971, the first charter flight from abroad (British Airways) operated at the airport. The new airport itself was officially inaugurated on May 5, 1972.
Further events
Traffic figures
Annual traffic statistics – 16-year history
*2016 data is for January - November only
Other facilities
The airline Bluebird Airways has its head office at the airport.