Under construction
November 2028
Current official target. This date has been revised several times.
Construction 76%
Reported August 2026
Heraklion's Nikos Kazantzakis airport is due to be replaced by a new international airport being built at Kastelli, inland in the Minoa Pediada municipality of Crete. When the new airport opens, the existing one is expected to stop handling passenger flights. This page tracks what has been officially announced, what is actually built, and what the change means if you are planning a trip to Crete.
If you are booking travel before the opening date, fly into Heraklion (HER) as normal and check back closer to your departure.
- Replaces
- Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" (HER)
- Location
- Minoa Pediada, central Crete, on the southwestern side of the Kasteli air force base
- Distance from Heraklion
- About 39 km (24 mi) southeast of the city
- Elevation
- 360 m (1,180 ft), against 35 m at the current airport
- Developed by
- Heraklion International Airport consortium: Greek State 45.9%, GEK TERNA 32.46%, GMR Group 21.64%
- Built by
- TERNA S.A.
- Airport codes
- ICAO LGTL. No IATA code announced yet, so flights continue to use HER.
Where the new airport is
Kastelli sits inland and south of the current airport, near the village of Evangelismos and next to the Kasteli air force base. The map shows both sites so you can see how the journey changes.
- A Kastelli airport site (LGTL) New airport Open in maps
- B Heraklion airport today (HER) Current airport Open in maps
- C Heraklion city centre Town Open in maps
Approximate site location. Access roads are still under construction, so routing is indicative.
Photos
Timeline: how the opening date has moved
The opening date has been revised repeatedly. We keep the superseded targets on this page rather than deleting them, so you can judge the current one in context.
-
February 2020 Happened
Groundbreaking
Construction of the new Heraklion airport is formally launched at the Kastelli site.
-
Original plan Superseded
Completion targeted for 2024
The first published schedule. Superseded.
-
Revised Superseded
Completion targeted for 2025
Revised after pandemic-era delays to construction and financing. Superseded.
-
Revised Superseded
Opening targeted for February 2027
Widely reported target through 2024 and much of 2025. Superseded.
-
December 2025 Happened
November 2028 set as the operational launch
A tripartite agreement between the Greek State, the Civil Aviation Authority and the airport operator sets a revised schedule, with full operations from November 2028.
-
August 2026 Current target
Timeline confirmed unchanged, construction at 76%
At the signing of the contract for the airport's air navigation systems, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, said the November 2028 schedule had not changed and put construction at 76% complete. He also gave updates on the terminal, the control tower and an outstanding issue over radar placement.
What is actually built
Reported status of the main components. Percentages refer to the project as a whole.
- Runway Complete
- Taxiway Complete
- Aircraft apron Complete
- Terminal building Under construction
- Control tower Under construction
- Air navigation systems Contract signed August 2026, installation pending
- Road link to the Northern Road Axis (BOAK) Under construction
What the new airport will include
The scope of the project as published by the operator. Figures describe the airport as designed, not as it stands today.
Airfield
- Runway
- One runway, 3,200 m long, ICAO code 4E.
- Parallel taxiway
- One parallel taxiway of the same length, with eight taxiways connecting it to the runway.
- Link to the air force base
- Two taxiways connecting to the runway of the adjacent military airfield.
- Aircraft apron
- Five contact stands at code E (or ten at code C), 27 remote stands at code C plus two more at code C (or one at code E), 16 general aviation stands and three helicopter stands.
Buildings
- Terminal building
- Seven levels, 93,000 sq m in total.
- Control tower
- 4,850 sq m, standing 44 m tall.
- Ten operational facilities
- Fire station, police, airport maintenance, ground handling company premises, electricity distribution, a 150 kV substation, water tanks, a wastewater treatment plant, fuel storage with underground hydrant refuelling, and waste collection.
Parking and commercial space
- Parking
- Capacity for 1,378 cars, 206 motorcycles, 168 taxis and 96 buses.
- Commercial zone
- A development area of 40 hectares (400 stremmata).
Road connections
- Motorway to the Northern Road Axis (BOAK)
- A closed motorway of about 18 km joining the BOAK at Hersonissos, with two carriageways, two lanes in each direction, and a service road along its full length.
- Link to the Arkalochori-Viannos road
- About 6 km, one lane and a widened hard shoulder in each direction, with a service road along its full length.
- Kastelli ring road
- 1.5 km.
- Surrounding road network
- Upgrades to the existing roads affected by the project, an estimated 20 km in total.
Getting there once it opens
Kastelli sits inland, so the journey changes for most resorts on Crete. Add rows below only for destinations you have verified.
| Destination | Distance | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Heraklion city centre | About 39 km (24 mi) | Via the Northern Road Axis once the link road is complete |
| Hersonissos | About 17 km | The new airport is closer to Hersonissos than the current one |
Distances are approximate and road connections are still being built. Journey times will only be reliable once the access roads open.
Travelling to Crete before it opens
Until Kastelli takes over, everything on this site still applies to the current airport. These are the pages people ask about most.
What happens to Heraklion airport (HER)
Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" is expected to stop handling passenger flights when Kastelli becomes operational. There is no plan for Crete to run two international airports at Heraklion.
No airport code has been announced for the new airport. Until one is, flights and bookings continue to use HER. If you already hold a booking for a date after the opening, your airline is responsible for telling you about any change of arrival airport.
Frequently asked questions
The current official target is November 2028. The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport confirmed in August 2026 that this had not changed. Earlier targets of 2024, 2025 and February 2027 all passed without the airport opening, so treat any date with caution.
In the Minoa Pediada municipality of central Crete, on the southwestern side of the Kasteli air force base, about 39 km (24 mi) southeast of Heraklion. It is inland and 360 m above sea level, not on the coast like the current airport.
Heraklion International Airport is expected to stop handling passenger flights once the new airport is operational. The two are not planned to run in parallel.
Yes. Airlines are still selling and operating flights to HER, and no transfer date has been fixed beyond the November 2028 target. If the arrival airport changes, your airline will notify you.
The new airport has been assigned the ICAO code LGTL, which is used by air traffic control rather than by passengers. No IATA code, the three-letter code you see on tickets and bags, has been announced yet, so bookings and flights continue to use HER.
The project is being developed by the Heraklion International Airport consortium, in which the Greek State holds 45.9%, GEK TERNA 32.46% and India's GMR Group 21.64%. Construction is carried out by TERNA S.A.
Car hire desks are expected, as at any major tourist airport, but no operators have been confirmed. We will list them here once they are announced.
Sources
We work from official statements where one exists, and date every figure. If something here is out of date, please tell us.
- Statements by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport on the project schedule and construction progress
- Reporting on the air navigation systems contract and the 2028 target
- Published project scope, used for the specification section on this page
Last verified: September 2026
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