Our Review of Heraklion Airport (HER)

Table of contents: Our Review of Heraklion Airport (HER) Pros and Cons of Heraklion Airport (HER) Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of Heraklion Airport (HER)

Our Perspective on Heraklion Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, including Heraklion International Airport. This experience allows us to better understand what passengers truly expect when arriving at or departing from an airport. Using this knowledge, we created this guide to simplify the travel experience and provide practical information in a fast and accessible way.

Heraklion Airport is the main gateway to Crete and plays a fundamental role in the island’s tourism industry. Every year, millions of travelers arrive through HER Airport to visit beaches, resorts, villages, archaeological sites, and coastal destinations across Crete.

However, the airport also faces important operational challenges, especially during peak summer months. The current infrastructure can struggle with the extremely high number of seasonal passengers, leading to congestion, busy waiting areas, and occasional delays during the busiest travel periods.

Despite these limitations, airport staff generally work hard to manage passenger flow efficiently. One of the airport’s greatest advantages is its excellent location near Heraklion city center and the island’s main tourist areas, allowing travelers to quickly continue their journey after arrival.

While Heraklion Airport may not offer the same level of modern infrastructure as some larger European hubs, it still provides the essential services most travelers expect, including restaurants, cafés, duty-free shopping, lounges, car rental services, and transport connections.

Travelers should nevertheless be prepared for possible queues and crowded terminal areas during the summer season, particularly between June and September. Arriving early and planning transport in advance can significantly improve the overall airport experience.

Looking ahead, plans for the future Kastelli Airport are expected to solve many of the current airport’s capacity limitations and modernize air travel infrastructure on the island of Crete.

Through this guide, our goal is to provide clear, reliable, and practical information that helps passengers better understand Heraklion Airport, avoid common issues, and make the most of their time while traveling through Crete.

Main Strengths

Excellent location close to Heraklion city, quick access to resorts, and strong tourism connectivity across Crete.

Main Challenges

Heavy seasonal passenger traffic, congestion during summer, and infrastructure limitations during peak hours.

Our Recommendation

Arrive early, book transport in advance, and expect busy terminals during the summer tourism season.

Pros and Cons of Heraklion Airport (HER)

Pros

Excellent Location

Heraklion Airport is located only around 5 km east of Heraklion city center, providing fast access to major tourist destinations across Crete.

Strong Connectivity

The airport serves as one of the main gateways to Crete, with a large number of domestic and international flights throughout the year.

Wide Range of Airlines

Travelers can choose from many airlines, including major international carriers and low-cost airlines operating seasonal routes.

Year-Round Operations

HER Airport operates throughout the entire year, with especially high flight frequencies during the summer tourism season.

Duty Free Shopping

International passengers can access duty-free stores offering perfumes, cosmetics, gifts, local products, and travel essentials.

Cons

Overcrowding in Summer

The airport frequently experiences heavy congestion during peak summer months, leading to long queues and crowded waiting areas.

Limited Infrastructure

The current airport infrastructure often operates beyond its intended capacity during high tourism periods.

Outdated Terminal

Some areas of the terminal can feel cramped and less modern compared to newer airports across Europe.

Parking Difficulties

Parking availability can become limited during busy periods, especially during weekends and summer holidays.

Possible Flight Delays

High passenger traffic volumes during summer can occasionally contribute to delays and slower airport processes.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Single Terminal: Heraklion Airport operates with one main terminal divided into domestic and international sections.
Transport Options: Taxis, public buses, and car rentals are available. The airport is well-connected to Heraklion city and other popular destinations in Crete.
Check-in Areas: Located in the central part of the terminal. Arrive early during peak seasons to avoid long queues.
Amenities: Despite space limitations, the airport offers basic amenities including cafes, restaurants, and shops. Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal.
Lounges: Two lounges are available - Filoxenia Lounge and Goldair Handling Lounge, offering a more comfortable waiting experience.
Accessibility: The airport provides services for passengers with reduced mobility, including wheelchair assistance.
Important Tips: During summer months, arrive at least 2-3 hours before your flight due to potential congestion. Stay alert for any gate changes or delay announcements.

Note: A new airport at Kastelli is under construction to replace the current Heraklion Airport, expected to open in February 2027. This will significantly improve the travel experience with modern facilities and increased capacity.

Other Reviews

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation