Crete Locals

Heraklion airport passenger traffic rises 3.3% in July, HCAA data show

· By CreteLocals Editorial Team
Heraklion airport passenger traffic rises 3.3% in July, HCAA data show

Heraklion’s Nikos Kazantzakis Airport recorded a 3.3% increase in passenger traffic in July 2026, handling 1,750,263 passengers compared with 1,693,791 in July 2025, according to figures released by Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA). The airport remained the busiest of the 24 regional airports managed by the authority.

The July data form part of wider statistics showing rising air travel across HCAA-managed airports and the country as a whole through the first seven months of 2026.

Seven-month totals up 5.1% at HCAA airports

Across the 24 airports managed by HCAA — including Heraklion, Kalamata, Alexandroupoli, Lemnos, Astypalaia, Ioannina, Chios, Kozani, Kastoria, Karpathos, Kythira, Milos, Skyros, Nea Anchialos, Paros, Syros, Araxos, Naxos, Kalymnos, Ikaria, Kastellorizo, Kasos, Leros and Sitia — total passenger traffic (domestic and international arrivals and departures combined) reached 6,990,875 for January-July 2026, up from 6,653,887 in the same period of 2025, a rise of 5.1%, HCAA data show.

For July alone, passenger traffic across all 24 HCAA airports rose 3.7% compared with the same month last year.

Nationwide traffic also climbs

Across all 39 Greek airports handling commercial flights, passenger numbers for January-July 2026 rose 4.9% to 46,959,903, up from 44,749,213 in the same period of 2025, according to the HCAA figures.

Aircraft movements (domestic and international arrivals and departures) at the 39 airports, most of which fall under HCAA air traffic control, totaled 357,925 for the seven-month period, up 4.4% from 342,922 movements in the same period of 2025.

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