Heraklion airport handles 60,000 passengers in one weekend

More than 60,000 passengers passed through Heraklion’s “Nikos Kazantzakis” airport over a single weekend, with more than 300 flights recorded in one 24-hour period, according to neakriti.gr. The outlet said the figures show Crete’s tourist season continuing well into the autumn.

Arrivals and departures followed one another with little pause, neakriti.gr reported, with thousands of passengers passing through the terminal each day despite the October calendar. Travelers cited sunny weather, local hospitality and the island’s beaches among the reasons for visiting outside the peak summer months, with some visitors returning to Crete repeatedly, according to the report.

Gastronomy among the draws

Local food was also named as a factor keeping visitors coming back, the outlet said. Crete’s culinary traditions have previously been highlighted as a reason the island continues to attract traditional dishes enthusiasts well beyond the summer season.

Tourist buses keep up the pace

Tourist buses play a key role in moving the volume of arrivals, neakriti.gr reported, carrying thousands of visitors daily between the airport, hotels, beaches and other destinations across the island. The service remains at the front line of tourist transport even in October, according to the report, illustrating that the season is still in full swing.

The data indicate that tourist traffic in Crete remains high even in October, neakriti.gr said, and the outlet reported that arrivals and departures were expected to continue at a strong pace in the coming days, with the airport operating at full capacity.