Heraklion International Airport
| Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ηρακλείου “Νίκος Καζαντζάκης” | |||||||||||||||
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| IATA: HER – ICAO: LGIR | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Greek State | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Heraklion | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Heraklion, Greece | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1937 | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Ellinair | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 115 ft / 35 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E / 35.33972°N 25.18028°ECoordinates: 35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E / 35.33972°N 25.18028°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  HER Location of airport in Greece | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2015) | |||||||||||||||
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Heraklion International Airport, “Nikos Kazantzakis” (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR) is the primary airport on the island of Crete, Greece, and the country’s second busiest airport after Athens International Airport. It is located about 5 km east of the main city center of Heraklion, near the municipality of Nea Alikarnassos. It is a shared civil/military facility.
The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos Kazantzakis, a Greek writer and philosopher. Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is Crete’s main and busiest airport, serving Heraklion (Ηράκλειο), Aghios Nikolaos (Άγιος Νικόλαος), Malia (Mάλλια), Hersonissos (Χερσόνησος), Stalida (Σταλίδα), Elounda (Ελούντα) and other resorts.
History
The airport first opened in March 1939. This was then merely a piece of flat agricultural land. The first aeroplane (a Junkers Ju-52) carried the first passengers to the site. During the Second World War operations ceased, but in the fall of 1946 traffic ressumed, introducing the DC-3 aircraft.[3]
At first, the airport only offered very basic service, with only primitive installations on the site, in the form of three tents, smoke for wind determination and storm lamps for runway lighting.
In 1947, the first (small) terminal was erected. Hellenic Airlines started commercial flights in 1948. At that time, a total of 4,000 people were served. The year 1953 saw the construction of a paved runway which was initially 1,850 meters long and oriented as 09/27. The next major event followed in 1954, when a four-engined DC-4 aircraft landed for the first time at the airport. In that year the airport handled approximately 18,000 passengers. From 1957 onward, the new Olympic Airways used the airport, starting services with the DC-6 aircraft.
From 1968 until 1971, the runway was extended to 2,680 meters and a new terminal and other facilities were constructed, essentially making it a new airport. On March 18, 1971, the first charter flight from abroad (British Airways) operated at the airport. The new airport itself was officially inaugurated on May 5, 1972.
Further events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1973–1975 | Construction of aircraft hangars and service roads |
| 1988 | Inauguration of new foreign departure and arrivals lounges (900 m2) |
| 1992 | Completion of new foreign arrivals lounge |
| 1994 | Operation of new foreign departures lounge (2,000 m 2) |
| 1996 | Completion of airport extension by 11,700 m2 |
| 1997 | Operation of new foreign departures lounge (5,000 m2) |
| 2005 | Completion of airport extension by 18,985 m2 |
Airlines and destinations
Statistics
Busiest routes
| Rank | Destination | Airport(s) | Summer 2016 | Top carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  London |
LGW, LTN | 43 | Aegean Airlines, British Airways, easyJet, Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook Airlines |
| 2 |  Paris |
CDG, ORY | 32 | Aegean Airlines, Air France, easyJet, Transavia France |
| 3 |  Moscow |
DME, SVO, VKO | 32 | Aegean Airlines, Aeroflot, Ellinair, Siberian Airlines, Ural Airlines |
| 4 |  Prague |
PRG | 30 | Aegean Airlines, SmartWings |
| 5 |  Milan |
MXP, LIN | 28 | Aegean Airlines, Alitalia, easyJet |
| 6 |  Frankfurt |
FRA | 28 | Aegean Airlines, Condor |
| 7 | Düsseldorf |
DUS | 28 | Aegean Airlines, Air Berlin, Condor, Eurowings |
| 8 | .svg.png){kind=small} Brussels |
BRU | 24 | Aegean Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Jetairfly |
| 9 |  Vienna |
VIE | 23 | Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, NIKI (airline) |
| 10 | Munich |
MUC | 22 | Aegean Airlines, Air Berlin, Condor, Lufthansa |
Traffic figures
Annual passenger throughput – 14-year history[33]
| Year | Flights | Passengers | Passengers Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 39,290 | 5,046,726 |  -2.0 |
| 2002 | 36,664 | 4,791,729 | -5.1 |
| 2003 | 39,523 | 4,833,507 |  +0.9 |
| 2004 | 38,170 | 4,712,508 | -2,5 |
| 2005 | 38,266 | 4,932,911 | +4.7 |
| 2006 | 43,740 | 5,345,652 | +8.4 |
| 2007 | 46,012 | 5,438,369 | +1.7 |
| 2008 | 45,280 | 5,437,068 | -0.02 |
| 2009 | 44,842 | 5,052,840 | -7.1 |
| 2010 | 42,396 | 4,907,337 | -2.9 |
| 2011 | 44,520 | 5,292,687 | +7.9 |
| 2012 | 40,856 | 5,076,329 | -4.6 |
| 2013 | 43,544 | 5,792,429 | +14.7 |
| 2014 | 43,637 | 6,024,958 | +5.2 |
| 2015 | 43,970 | 6,057,355 | +0.5 |
Other facilities
The airline Bluebird Airways has its head office at the airport.[34]
Trivia
- It is often requested by airlines that passengers do not take any photographs or video of the runway. This is because of a Hellenic Air Force base (126 CG) which operates at the airport.
See also
References
- ↑ "Nikos Kazantzakis". WorldAeroData. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ↑ "HERAKLION AIRPORT "N.KAZANTZAKIS"". Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ↑ "Heraklion Airport History". www.heraklion-airport.info. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2015/10/12/a3-bes-s16/
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2014/09/15/a3-s15update1/
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2014/03/25/az-jun14/
- ↑ "New flights from Thessaloniki and Athens!". astra-airlines.gr. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ↑ "Astra Airlines". Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ↑ http://www.sofia-airport.bg/%D0%BF%D1%8A%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B8/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F/%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2015/05/21/bv-bgy-jul15/
- ↑ http://www.thebasource.com/british-airways-announce-summer-london-gatwick-heraklion-route/
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2015/10/20/sn-europe-s16/
- ↑ https://booking.cobalt.aero/en/booking/search-flight/
- ↑ "easyJet adds 20 new routes for summer 2015". easyJet. 10 December 2014.
- 1 2 http://el.ellinair.com/
- ↑ http://www.mouzenidis.gr/avia-table/?CurPage=1&DepartureCityId=195&ArrivalCityId=218&DaysFlow=0&DateFrom=24-04-2016
- ↑ http://www.mouzenidis.gr/avia-table/?CurPage=1&DepartureCityId=195&ArrivalCityId=1008&DaysFlow=0&DateFrom=01-06-2016
- ↑ http://www.mouzenidis.gr/avia-table?CurPage=1&DepartureCityId=195&ArrivalCityId=358&DaysFlow=0&DateFrom=05-06-2017
- ↑ https://www.eurowings.com/en.html
- ↑ "Jet2.com Adds Birmingham Routes in S17". routesonline. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ↑ http://www.jet2.com/timetable
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2016/04/26/ig-s16/
- ↑ http://www.monarch.co.uk/
- ↑ VQ-BDO, Boeing 737-800, NordStar Airlines – Large size. airpics.net. Retrieved on 2013-08-20.
- ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/270161/small-planet-expands-lublin-service-in-s17/
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2015/03/23/qs-hungary-s15/
- ↑ "SmartWings Contact". smartwings.com.
- ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2014/10/08/xg-s15update1/
- ↑ https://www.thomascook.com/flights/
- ↑ http://www.tusairways.com
- ↑ http://www.vueling.com/en
- ↑
- ↑ "Statistical data of Iraklion airport "N. Kazantzakis" for the period 1994–2014" (XLS). Hellenic Civilian Aviation Authority. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ↑ "Contact." (Archive) Bluebird Airways. Retrieved on 19 September 2012. "Offices: Heraklion International Airport "N.Kazantzakis" – Address in Greek: "Γραφεία: Κρατικός αερολιμένας Ηρακλείου Νίκος Καζαντζάκης"
External links
Media related to Heraklion International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official Website / Civil Aviation Authority: Heraklion International Airport, "N. Kazantzakis"
- Greek Airport Guide: Iraklio Airport, "N. Kazantzakis"
- LGIR on Airliners.net
- Airport information for LGIR at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
- LGIR current wind
- Heraklion International Airport,N.Kazantzakis
- Greek Airports