Officially named after Nikos Kazantzakis, the airport is the largest in Crete. In the summer season it is used by numerous charter flights, while the rest of the time it is mainly used by flights from Athens and other Greek cities.

Heraklion airport is at first glance quite old-school and the comfort is not very much in line with the current operation.

In 2017, a final decision was made to build a new modern airport, the completion date is constantly being pushed back and is currently expected to open in late 2026/early 2027.

Alternatively, Chania airport can be used for travel to western Crete.

From April to October, the airport hosts many airlines from all over Europe, with scheduled and charter flights heading to all corners of the continent.

The most extensive route networks from Heraklion are operated by the following airlines:

• Aegean Airlines: year-round service several times daily to Athens + summer seasonal direct flights to all of Europe
• Sky Express: year-round service to Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek islands + summer seasonal direct flights to all of Europe
• Jet2.com: the most frequent service to many UK cities
• Eurowings: flights to many German cities
• Volotea: direct flights to Athens, Italy and France
• TUI: extensive connections to the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany
• easyJet: flights to several UK cities, France and Switzerland
• Wizz Air: scheduled flights to Eastern Europe
• Ryanair: relatively limited number of flights compared to others, e.g. to Bergamo, Vienna, Berlin or Brussels