Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) lies on the north coast of Crete, about 5 km east of Heraklion city centre near Nea Alikarnassos. Its main runway, 09/27, is listed at 2,714 metres (8,904 feet), and the airport sits at an elevation of 115 feet (35 metres) at coordinates 35.3397° N, 25.1803° E.
Heraklion is a shared civil and military airport and one of the busiest in Greece: it handled more than 10 million passengers in 2025, most of them between spring and autumn. For private flights, the summer peak means arrival slots and parking must be arranged early. The runway accepts aircraft up to large business jets. The airport is the gateway to central and eastern Crete: Knossos and the Archaeological Museum are a few minutes away, and Elounda and Agios Nikolaos, home to many of the island’s resort hotels, are around an hour east by road. A new airport at Kasteli, about 39 km south-east of the city, is under construction and is planned to replace Heraklion once it opens. The Jet Collection arranges flights into Heraklion with handling and a car or helicopter to Elounda or your villa.
