New airport project in Crete aims to expand capacity to 15 million passengers

A new airport is under construction in Kastelli, located southeast of Heraklion, to address rising tourism demands on the Greek island of Crete. The facility is designed to replace the aging Nikos Kazantzakis airport in Heraklion and accommodate over 15 million passengers annually.

The planned terminal will span 93,000 square meters across eight levels and feature 19 runways, eight of which are intended for both Schengen and non-Schengen flights. The infrastructure is being developed to support current aircraft models as well as larger, next-generation planes.

This expansion follows a record year for the Heraklion airport, which saw more than 10 million passengers in 2025. The new Kastelli site, situated approximately 25 minutes from Heraklion, is expected to work alongside the existing Chania airport to manage the island's high volume of international travelers.