Heraklion International Airport, "Nikos Kazantzakis"

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ηρακλείου “Νίκος Καζαντζάκης”
IATA: HER ICAO: LGIR
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner	Greek State
Serves	Heraklion
Location	Heraklion, Greece
Opened	1937 (1937)
Hub for	Sky Express
Focus city for	Aegean Airlines Ellinair
Elevation AMSL	115 ft / 35 m
Coordinates	35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E / 35.33972°N 25.18028°E / 35.33972; 25.18028Coordinates: 35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E / 35.33972°N 25.18028°E / 35.33972; 25.18028
Map
HER Location of airport in Greece
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 2,714 8,800 Asphalt 12/30 1,566 5,138 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Passengers 6,865,681 Passenger traffic change 13.3% Aircraft movements 43,970 Aircraft movements change 0.2%
Sources: Runways Statistics: Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority

Passengers	6,865,681
Passenger traffic change	13.3%
Aircraft movements	43,970
Aircraft movements change	0.2%

Aegean Airlines

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.

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.

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.