Heraklion Airport Leads Greece’s 5% 2024 Summer Passenger Traffic Surge

Greece has witnessed a significant surge in passenger traffic this summer, with the 24 airports (Alexandroupoli, Araxos, Astypalaia, Chios, Heraklion, Ikaria, Ioannina, Kalymnos, Kalamata, Karpathos, Kasos, Kastelorizo, Kastoria, Kozani, Kythera, Lemnos, Leros, Milos, Naxos, Nea Anchialos, Paros, Sitia, Skyros, Syros, Syros) managed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) experiencing a 5% increase.

The total number of passengers reached 5,810,734 during the three summer months of June, July, and August 2024, compared to 5,534,000 in the same period of 2023.

Heraklion Airport Leads the Way

Heraklion State Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” emerged as the summer champion, serving 4,610,002 passengers in 2024. This represents a 4.5% increase compared to last year (2023), where 4,413,283 passengers were recorded for the June-July-August period.

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” is the primary airport on the island of Crete, Greece, and the country’s second busiest airport after Athens International Airport.

It serves various resorts, including Heraklion, Aghios Nikolaos, Malia, Hersonissos, Stalida, Sisi, Elounda, and others. A new airport for Heraklion, located 39 km to the south-east of the city at Kasteli, is under construction and due to open by 2027.

Significant Growth at Other Airports

Other notable increases in passenger traffic were observed at various airports:

• Kasos Airport: A remarkable increase of 99.6% compared to 2023.
• Sitia Airport: With a 49.3% increase.
• Milos Airport: Showing a 28.9% growth.
• Kalymnos Airport: Recording a 19.3% increase.
• Araxos Airport: A 14.7% increase over the same period in 2023.

Aircraft Movements Increase

The total number of aircraft movements (domestic and international arrivals and departures) also saw a 2.3% increase in the summer of 2024, with 44,395 flights operated, up from 43,385 flights in the summer of 2023.

Broader Trends in Greek Aviation

This positive trend aligns with broader trends in Greek aviation. Here are some additional insights.

• Year-to-September Performance: The HCAA reported a 6.1% rise in passenger traffic between January and September 2024, totaling 9,984,655 passengers, compared to 9,413,077 during the same period in 2023.
• September 2024 Highlights: Heraklion International Airport handled 1,413,761 passengers in September 2024, reflecting a 6.6% uptick. Other notable airports included Sitia Airport with a 66.6% increase, Milos Airport with a 35.7% increase, and Kozani Airport with a 35.2% increase.
• Aircraft Movements: Aircraft movements in the first nine months of 2024 increased by 6.6% across the 39 airports managed by the HCAA.
• National Growth Trends: Throughout the first eight months of 2024, passenger traffic at Greece’s 39 airports showed a 9.1% uptick compared to 2023, reaching 54,769,867 passengers. Flight operations across all airports recorded a 6.8% increase from January to August.