Crete’s New Kastelli Airport Advances as Heraklion Strains Under Record Traffic

Overview

• Government updates put construction at about 40% complete as of April 2025, with a Minoan-site discovery resolved by relocating the planned radar tower.
• The replacement hub for Heraklion is designed to handle 10 million passengers at launch and later up to 18 million, featuring biometric checks, on-site green energy and new road links across the island.
• Heraklion set a passenger record in 2024, with summer volumes reported at least 60% above the airport’s nominal capacity.
• Erfurt–Weimar Airport announced twice-weekly Leav Aviation flights to Heraklion starting July 2, 2026, operating Mondays and Thursdays through late October.
• Travel coverage is steering visitors to quieter islands, highlighting Skopelos as Greece’s ‘greenest’ island and Kefalonia with its top-ranked beaches and its own international airport.