Heraklion Airport (Crete): location and infrastructure

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Actually, Heraklion Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis, a local Greek philosopher and writer. But since the hub serves almost all the resort towns of the island, it is named after the nearby city. And even sometimes like this: "Crete-Heraklion airport." This is the second busiest hub in Greece (after Eleftherios Venizelos in Athens). It accepts both international and domestic flights. During the summer months, the work at the airport is especially busy due to the many charters. This circumstance, aggravated by the innate slowness of the Greeks, must be taken into account when arriving at the landing. What other surprises await us at the Nikos Kazantzakis hub? Let's take a look.

What flies to Crete

The hub serves as the home port for Bluebird Airways. Olympic Air and Aegean fly here from Athens. For lovers of low-cost flights, it will be interesting to know that Crete-Heraklion Airport accepts aircraft from EasyJet, Wizzair and Germanwings. BUTRyanair, another low-cost carrier, does not operate flights to this hub. You can get from Russia to Crete without transfers by Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Transaero, Ural Airlines.

History

The airport in Heraklion was built in 1939 in the middle of arable land. At first, it received Junkers Ju 52 passenger planes from the capital. After the Second World War, air traffic between the island and Athens resumed. The first terminal appeared in 1947. At first, the airport served only four thousand passengers a year. At the end of the 60s, the 1850-meter long runway was supplemented with a longer one (two and a half kilometers), which made it possible to receive heavier aircraft. At the same time, the terminal was rebuilt according to the requirements for international airports. The first overseas flight was accepted in March 1971 (British Airways aircraft). The current view of Heraklion Airport, the photo of which you see, was acquired in May 1972. But the city has almost come close to the once deserted fields. The noise of the airport worries the inhabitants of Heraklion, so at the moment a new hub is being built in the town of Kasteli, in the depths of the island. It is planned to be completed by the summer season of 2015. After that, the old Heraklion Airport will be closed.

Where is located

The second largest hub in Greece is located in the village of Nea Alikanassos. In fact, this is already the eastern suburb of Heraklion. From the air gates of Crete to the city center - only four kilometers. Heraklion airport also serves other resorts of the island: Elounda,Stalis, Hersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos. To the south of the hub there is a road junction leading to the federal highway E75. This motorway links all the coastal towns of Crete. To Chania from the airport. Nikos Kazantzakis about 140 km. Approximately seventy kilometers separate the hub from Agios Nikolaos and Rethymnon.

How to get there

“Heraklion” is an airport located almost within the city, but on foot, and even with luggage, it will be far away. City bus number 78 departs from the terminal building. It runs from early morning to late evening with an interval of just a few minutes. On Sundays, the bus runs less frequently. The ticket costs 0.75 euros and is purchased from the driver. Travel time to the center of Heraklion takes about twenty minutes, as the bus makes many stops. Car rental offices are located right outside the arrivals hall. However, keep in mind that during the tourist season, the choice of economy class cars is small. The most comfortable way to get to the place of rest is by taxi. The parking lot of this type of transport is located right in front of the exit from the terminal. Payment - according to the counter. Shuttle buses run to Heraklion Airport from the resort towns of Crete, which carry out a group transfer of passengers. But, according to tourist reviews, this type of transport takes two to three hours from lying on the beach. Buses pick up passengers at numerous hotels. You need to plan such a trip taking into account this time so as not to be late for the flight.

Infrastructure

Heraklion Airport meets all the standards of an international European hub. True, it has only one passenger terminal. But maybe that's for the best. As practice shows, people tend to get lost if there are more than one building for boarding a flight. In the departure hall there is a comfortable waiting room, a cafe, a bar, a restaurant, a room for children's games, Wi-Fi. In the arrivals hall, you will find 24-hour currency exchange offices and ATMs. As befits an airport of this rank, there is a post office, a left-luggage office, an office of found things and a first-aid post. The hub staff will facilitate the movement of persons with disabilities. Basically, check-in for a flight, passing through passport, customs and security checks are carried out in an organized and fast manner. However, during the summer, due to the large number of charter flights, queues are possible.

Heraklion Airport: duty free

Of course, there is a duty-free shop, otherwise the hub would not have been given international status. Duty free is located on the second floor, as usual, behind the frontier guards. In addition to the usual duty free goods, such as inflatable pillows, sweets and cosmetics with perfumes, the local duty free shop has its own specifics. It consists in a large and good selection of Cretan wines, honey, olive oil, Greek distillates. A variety of magnets here, too, more than enough. So if you forgot to buy a memo about the island in the market or in souvenir shops,You can do this right before your flight. Unless the prices… Ouzo, metaxa, retsina and other alcohol are a little more expensive than everywhere else on the island. Honey, spices, oil - at the same prices. But all sorts of little things, clothes and perfumes are very expensive.