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Greek Farmers Shut Heraklion Airport After Runway Incursion

The closure follows protests over EU farm payments frozen during a fraud investigation, with relief pledged by late December.

Farmers overturn a police vehicle during clashes with officers blocking their march to Chania's airport on Crete, Greece, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, amid protests over delayed EU farm subsidies. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis)
Farmers throw stones at police during clashes with officers blocking their march to Chania's airport on Crete, Greece, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, amid protests over delayed EU farm subsidies. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis)
Farmers gather next to an overturned police vehicle during clashes with officers blocking their march to Chania's airport on Crete, Greece, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, amid protests over delayed EU farm subsidies. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis)
Police use tear gas against farmers during clashes with officers blocking their march to Chania's airport on Crete, Greece, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, amid protests over delayed EU farm subsidies. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis)

Overview

  • All flights at Heraklion’s Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport were suspended after protesters swarmed the apron and runway.
  • Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to push back crowds at the airport, according to local reports.
  • Separate clashes in Chania saw stones thrown, an overturned police patrol car, and injuries reported by local media.
  • Farmers have staged nationwide blockades with thousands of tractors, disrupting highways and border crossings with Bulgaria, Turkey, and North Macedonia.
  • Payments were halted as the EPPO investigates large-scale subsidy fraud that prompted resignations and arrests, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged lifting blockades and promised significant payouts by the end of December.