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Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis AirportHER · LGIR

🇬🇷GRHeraklionLarge AirportCargo

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CityHeraklion

Lat35.3397

Lng25.1803

TimezoneEurope/Helsinki

TypeLarge Airport

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About This Airport

An airport with a successor already under construction: Heraklion «Nikos Kazantzakis» Airport (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR) is expected to hand over to the new airport at Kastelli, some 40 kilometres to the south-east, around 2028. Until then, Crete's main gateway remains Greece's second-busiest airport, with around 10 million passengers in 2025, almost entirely leisure traffic from across Europe; Fraport Greece has operated the site since 2017. Named after the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis, author of «Zorba the Greek», the airport sits right on the coast just east of the island's capital. For freight, Heraklion is a niche location: Goldair Handling provides full cargo and mail handling on site, but volumes remain small – mainly express shipments, spare parts for the hotel industry and seasonal bellyhold loads. The bulk of Crete's logistics moves by sea: fresh vegetables, olives and olive oil leave the island on overnight ferries from Heraklion port to Piraeus, where trucks take over distribution, and even airfreight-bound exports are normally trucked onward to Athens. Forwarders planning shipments to Crete therefore treat ATH plus ferry as the standard routing, reserving direct uplift via HER for time-critical small consignments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IATA code of Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport?▼

The IATA code of Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is HER. This three-letter code is used for unique airport identification in international air transport.

Where is Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport located?▼

Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located in Heraklion, GR.

What is the ICAO code of Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport?▼

The ICAO code of Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is LGIR. This four-letter code is used internationally in aviation.

What is the elevation of Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport?▼

Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is at an elevation of 35 meters (115 ft) above sea level.

Location & Weather

35.33970, 25.18030

35 m ü. NN

Transit time routes from Heraklion

Piraeus → Shanghai Piraeus → Shenzhen Piraeus → Guangzhou Piraeus → Hong Kong Piraeus → Tokyo Piraeus → Busan

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Last updated: 20 June 2026

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The information on this page is based on publicly available transport and infrastructure data. The logistics significance of a location may change. All information without warranty.