Heraklion airport logs new single-day record above 68,000 passengers
Heraklion’s “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport recorded a new single-day passenger record of more than 68,000 travelers in August 2026, according to airport director Iakovos Ouranos, who spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ). Cumulative traffic through August 23 reached 6.81 million passengers, an increase of 4.6% over the same period last year.
International arrivals for the same period stood at 2.88 million, up 5.1% year-on-year. In August alone, through the 23rd of the month, the airport handled 1.38 million passengers, a rise of 3.1%, on 8,413 flights, also up 3.1%. Domestic arrivals for the month reached 72,790, up 4.9%, while international arrivals reached 615,656, up 3.6%.
The single-day record follows two other records the airport posted earlier in August. Ouranos said the figures reflect the strength of this year’s traffic despite the war involving Iran, which began in late February. “Even with that, our numbers are higher than in 2025,” he said, adding that 2025 was itself a landmark year, when the airport surpassed 10 million passengers for the first time in its history, reaching 10,033,151. “This year, everything points to us closing even higher,” Ouranos said.
Ouranos described the airport as largely seasonal, meaning pressure on infrastructure and staff rises in step with passenger volumes, particularly during the summer months when the facility operates near its limits. He said the airport continues to support tourism and the local economy despite these constraints. He added that September and October are traditionally strong months and that this year’s traffic is expected to remain elevated through mid-November, citing Crete’s autumn climate as a draw for visitors.
Arrivals by nationality
Germany accounted for the largest share of international arrivals, with 780,809 passengers, followed by the United Kingdom (483,998) and France (310,171). Poland (169,434), the Netherlands (149,953), Israel (137,792) and Italy (131,912) rounded out the top nationalities, which Ouranos said have remained stable at the top of the list.
He noted larger shifts further down the rankings. Arrivals from Israel rose more than 20%, despite the absence of flights early in the season due to the war. Cyprus recorded a 172% increase, to 16,933 arrivals from 6,223, and Turkey rose 72%, to 14,256 from 8,272, a change Ouranos attributed largely to winter-season flights. Lithuania rose 42% (39,465 versus 27,807) and Austria 12.6% (89,237 versus 79,221). Serbia posted the steepest decline, down 50% (6,961 versus 13,965), while Belgium fell 14% (77,745 versus 90,564).
According to Ouranos, positive signs for the season were already visible over the winter, when international flights and airline slot requests exceeded expectations compared with previous low-traffic periods. He said the domestic network was also expanded, with direct flights added to Corfu, Naxos, Santorini, Paros, Syros, Kalamata, Mytilene, Kos, Mykonos and Volos alongside the established routes to Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes.
Looking toward Kastelli
Ouranos said the airport must continue absorbing rising traffic until the official opening of the new international airport at Kastelli. He said staff are working closely with the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority to plan and carry out improvements to the airport’s existing facilities in the meantime.
