Overview

• Deputy infrastructure minister Nikos Tachiaos said on September 30, 2025, that the test phase has slipped to April 2028, pushing the opening beyond earlier 2027 targets.
• The government reports construction is 44.5% complete as of September 2025.
• The Kastelli airport is planned with a 94,000 m² multi‑level terminal, 19 aircraft stands and biometric controls, with capacity slated to start at 10 million passengers and scale to 18 million.
• Plans include on‑site energy generation plus a bus terminal and new road links connecting northern and southern highways, with Heraklion roughly 25 minutes away.
• Heraklion handled over 3.8 million international passengers in 2024 and operated up to about 60% above nominal capacity in summer, underscoring the need for new capacity.