Crete's New Kastelli Airport Set to Transform Island Tourism

Saturday, 30 May 2026/Source: Google News/1 min read

Crete is set to open a brand new international airport near Kastelli, a town in the Heraklion regional unit approximately 25 kilometres east of the island's capital. The new facility, known as Kastelli Airport or Heraklion International Airport, is designed to replace the ageing Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, which has long struggled with capacity limits during peak summer months. The new airport is planned to handle up to 18 million passengers per year, significantly improving flight connections to and from Crete. An opening date around 2028 is currently targeted, though construction timelines may shift. For visitors, the change will mean a new arrival point requiring updated transfer routes to popular destinations such as Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos, and the Lasithi plateau. Travellers planning trips after 2028 should confirm which airport their flights use when booking accommodation and ground transport.