In fact, the airport of Heraklion is namedNikos Kazantzakis - Greek philosopher and writer, a local native. But since the hub serves almost all the resort towns of the island, it is called in the nearby city. And even sometimes: “Crete-Heraklion airport”. This is the second passenger hub in Greece (after Eleftherios Venizelos in Athens). It accepts both international and domestic flights. During the summer months, work at the airport is particularly stressful due to the many charters. This circumstance, aggravated by the innate slowness of the Greeks, must be taken into account when arriving at the landing. What other surprises await us in the Nikos Kazantzakis hub? Let's consider.
What flies to Crete
The hub serves as the home port for Bluebird Airways.From Athens here fly Olympic Air and Aegean. For lovers of low-cost, it will be interesting to know that Crete-Heraklion Airport receives planes from the companies EasyJet, Wizzair and Germanwings. But Ryanair - another budget carrier - does not operate flights to this hub. From Russia, direct flights to Crete can be made by Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Transaero, Ural Airlines.
History
The airport in Heraklion was built in 1939in the middle of arable land. First, he took the passenger aircraft Junkers Ju 52 from the capital. After World War II, air service between the island and Athens resumed. The first terminal appeared in 1947. At first, the airport served only four thousand passengers a year. At the end of the 60s, the runway with a length of 1,850 meters was extended with a longer one (two and a half kilometers), which made it possible to receive heavier airplanes. At the same time, the terminal was rebuilt according to the requirements for international airports. The first overseas flight was taken in March 1971 (British Airways aircraft). The current view of the airport "Heraklion", whose photo you see, was acquired in May 1972. But the city has almost come close to the once deserted fields. The noise of the airport worries the residents of Heraklion, so at this time in the town of Kasteli, in the depths of the island, they are building a new hub. It is planned to finish it by the 2015 summer season. After that, the old Heraklion airport will be closed.
Where is the
The second largest hub of Greece is located in the villageNea Alikanasos. In fact, this is the eastern suburb of Heraklion. From the air gate of Crete to the city center - just four kilometers. Heraklion Airport also serves other resorts on the island: Elounda, Stalida, Chersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos. To the south of the hub there is a traffic intersection leading to the federal highway E75. This highway connects all the coastal cities of Crete. To Chania from the airport. Nikos Kazantzakis about 140 km. About seventy kilometers separate the hub from Agios Nikolaos and Rethymnon.
How to get there
"Heraklion" - an airport located almost inthe city, but on foot, and even with luggage, will be far away. City bus number 78 departs from the terminal building. It runs from early morning to late evening at intervals of only a few minutes. On Sundays, the bus runs less frequently. The ticket costs 0.75 euros and is purchased from the driver. It takes about twenty minutes to get to the center of Heraklion, as the bus makes many stops. Offices for renting cars are located right at the exit from the arrivals hall. However, keep in mind that in the tourist season, the choice of cars of economy class is small. The most comfortable way to get to the place of rest is by taxi. Parking of this type of transport is located directly in front of the exit from the terminal. Payment - on the counter. Shuttle buses from the resort towns of Crete ride to Heraklion airport, which provide group transfer of passengers. But, according to reviews of tourists, this type of transport takes two or three hours from lying on the beach. Buses come for passengers in numerous hotels. Taking into account this time it is necessary to plan such a trip in order not to be late for the flight.
Infrastructure
Airport "Heraklion" meets all standardsinternational european hub. True, it has only one passenger terminal. But maybe it's for the best. As practice shows, people tend to get lost if there are more than one building to land on a flight. In the departure lounge there is a comfortable waiting room, a cafe, a bar, a restaurant, a room for children’s games, Wi-Fi. In the arrival hall you will find round the clock currency exchange offices and ATMs. As it should be at the airport of such a rank, there is a post office, a luggage room, an office for found things and a medical center. Hub staff will facilitate the movement of persons with disabilities. Basically, check-in, passing passport, customs inspection and security monitoring are carried out in an organized and fast manner. However, in the summer, due to the large number of charter flights, queues are possible.
Airport "Heraklion": duty free
Of course, the duty-free shopis present, otherwise the hub would not be assigned international status. Duty free is located on the second floor, as usual, behind the border guard posts. In addition to the usual duty-free products such as inflatable pillows, sweets and cosmetics with perfumes, the local duty-free shop has its own specifics. It consists of a large and good selection of Cretan wines, honey, olive oil, and Greek distillates. A variety of magnets here, too, more than enough. So if you forgot to purchase a memo about an island on the market or in souvenir shops, you can do this just before departure. Is that prices ... Ouzo, Metaks, Recin and other alcohol is slightly more expensive than everywhere on the island. Honey, spices, butter - at the same prices. But all sorts of stuff, clothes and perfumes are very expensive.
