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Crete's New Kastelli Airport: 18M-Passenger Capacity by 2028

Saturday, 20 June 2026/SourceGoogle News/1 min read
Crete is set to gain a major new international airport at Kastelli, located approximately 25 kilometers east of Heraklion near the town of Kastelli in the Pediada region. The new facility will replace Heraklion's existing Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, which has long exceeded its capacity. Kastelli Airport is designed to handle up to 18 million passengers per year, nearly double the current airport's throughput. The opening is currently planned for 2028, though timelines remain subject to construction progress. For tourists, the new airport promises shorter queues, modernized terminals, and improved connections to destinations across Europe. Travelers flying into Crete after 2028 should expect a different arrival route and plan accordingly, as ground transport links to Heraklion and other parts of the island from Kastelli are still being developed.

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