Airports in Greece
Greece, the breathtaking crib of European tradition and culture, is one of the most famous countries in the world. Particularly, it is popular among tourists for its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes.
At the moment there are 15 international airports in Greece. They are located mostly on the islands since those are very popular tourist destination. However, traveling across the country is simple and there are connections with every part of Greece.
Plan your journey route and explore all available options, as the smaller airports may be more convenient for you than the ones in large Greek cities.
Top 10 biggest airports in Greece
Athens Airport – IATA code ATH
~ 22.7 million passengers
Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, more commonly referred to simply as Athens Airport, serves the Greek capital and Attica region. By far the busiest airport in Greece, Athens Airport is the main international airport in the country. However, it also handles much of the domestic traffic as well.
Interestingly, ATH has two terminals – Terminal A and Terminal B. It also serves as a hub of Aegean Airlines, and many other airlines operate at the airport on a daily basis. The airlines include American Airlines, Air France, EasyJet, Emirates and Pegasus Airlines among others. Additionally, Athens Airport provides many amenities and services to passengers waiting for their flights.
Chania Airport – IATA code CHQ
~ 1.1. million passengers
Chania or Daskalogiannis Airport is an international airport located on the Akrotiri Peninsula of Crete. The airport is 14 kilometres away from Chania, and is well-connected with the city by public transport. CHQ has a single terminal, with departures and arrival halls at the opposite sides of it.
As Crete is a popular tourist destination – famous for its historical heritage as well as beauty – it comes as no surprise that many big airlines operate there. Among the biggest names stand out Ryanair, Aegean Airlines and Transavia France.
Corfu Airport – IATA code CFU
~ 3.4 million passengers
Corfu Airport, also called Ioannis Kapodristrias Airport, is an airport on the Greek island of Corfu. This destination welcomes millions of tourists, with the peak of traveling season is during summer. Paricularly, between April and October. So, it is no surprise that this is the period with the most frequent flights.
The airport is located 2 km south of Corfu Town, which is possible to reach by public transport or taxi. As many other airports in Greece, Corfu has a single terminal with many amenities and services for passengers awaiting their flights.
Heraklion Airport – IATA code HER
~ 8 million passengers
Heraklion or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is the second busiest of airports in Greece. It serves the air traffic of the island of Crete and is located 5 km east of the main city center. Furthermore, HER has a single terminal that is divided into domestic and international departures and arrivals.
It features flights to biggest European destinations and leisure centers, and during the high season offers connections to more than 100 locations. In fact, the international flights majorly connect HER with many cities in France and Germany.
Kos Airport – IATA code KGS
~ 2.56 million passengers
The Hippocrates Airport is the other name of this smaller airport located near the Andimachia village serving the island of Kos. Interestingly, the airport has a single terminal, separated into Departures and Arrivals areas. Interestingly, the Departures area has many services and amenities, including restaurants and Duty-free shops.
Since the island is a very popular tourist destination, the airport marks a high passenger traffic every summer. Naturally, this includes many international and domestic flights. Some of the airlines that frequent at KGS are Eurowings, EasyJet, Transavia, Condor and Aegean Airlines.
Mykonos Airport – IATA code JMK
~ 1.6 million passengers
The airport serving Mykonos island is located only 4 km from the city centre. During the low season it has limited flight connections and operating hours. However, this changes in summer when the island becomes a popular tourist destination. The airport terminal has different areas for arrivals and departures, and offers many amenities in both areas.
The airport is well-connected with Mykonos by public transport, buses and taxi services. Interestingly, direct and non-stop flights from and to major European metropolitan areas operate at JMK. Some of those cities include Vienna, Paris, Brussels, Budapest and Milan. However, there are also flights from and to non-European cities. Such as, Beirut, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.
Rhodes Airport – IATA code RHO
~ 5.8 million passengers
The official name of the airport on the west side of Rhodes is Diagoras Airport. The airport, commonly often referred to simply as Rhodes Airport, It is 14 km southwest of the island’s capital, Rhodes City. Moreover, the airport has two inter-connected terminals and offers many amenities.
Furthermore, in high season RHO features (mostly charter) flights to many European destinations. Among the airlines with the most frequent flights are RyainAir, TUI Airlines and EasyJet. Also, the airport is well-connected with Rhodes City. by public transport. The bus stop is located just between the terminals.
Santorini (Thira) Airport – IATA code JTR
~ 7 million passengers
The Santorini Airport is located north of the Kamari village. Interestingly, due to its size, the airport is able to serve no more than 6 planes at the same time. Furthermore, JTR is only 6 km southeast of the centre of Thira, and is well-connected by public transport and taxi services.
As Santorini is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Greece, it comes as no surprise that many international airlines frequent at JTR. Particularly, most international flights connect Santorini Airport to other major cities in Europe, such as Zagreb, Brussels, Nantes, and Dublin. Non-European destinations include Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Thessaloniki Airport – IATA code SKG
~ 5.9 million passengers
Thessaloniki Airport, officially named Makedonia Airport (formerly Mikra Airport), is situated 7 km south of the White Tower of Thessaloniki at Thermi. It’s the main airport of Northern Greece and serves the area of Thessaloniki, and the surrounding areas. SKG has two terminals, and as many other airports in Greece, has the highest traffic during the summer months.
Among the airlines that operate are Eurowings, Wizz Air, Aegean Airlines, British Airways and Transavia. Non-stop and direct flights from Europe and neighboring Asian countries are also frequent at SKG.
Zakynthos Airport – IATA code ZTH
~ 1.9 million passengers
Zakynthos or Dionysios Solomos Airport serves the Zakynthos island in Greece. The airport is in the vicinity of the city of Kalamaki. Unlike most other airports, it forbids landings and departures from 22:00 to 05:00h, due to endangered loggerhead turtles which lay their eggs on the beach at night.
Many international and domestic flights operate at ZTH, with most traffic taking place during summer. Particularly, TUIfly Nordic, jet2.com, Transavia and EasyJet are among the airlines with the most frequent flights. Additionally, some of the destinations connected with Zakynthos are Dussledorf, London, Manchester, and Munich.
Smaller airports in Greece
Cephalonia Airport – IATA code EFL
~ 0.8 million passengers
- Also called: Anna Pollatou Airport
- Nearby cities: Sami, Poros, Lixouri, Lourdata
- To Cephalonia city from the airport: taxi – 20 min
Mytilene Airport – IATA code MJT
~ 0.4 million passengers
- Also called: Odysseas Elytis Airport
- Nearby cities: Varia, Marmaro, Kratigou, Charamida
- To Mytilene city from the airport: taxi – 15 min
Samos Airport – IATA code SMI
~ 0.4 million passengers
- Also called: Aristarchos of Samos Airport
- Nearby cities: Stroggilo, Kokkari, Pythagoreio
- To Samos city from the airport: taxi – 15 min
Aktion Airport – IATA code PVK
~ 0.7 million passengers
- Also called: Preveza Airport, Lefkada Airport
- Nearby cities: Vonitsa, Paliampela, Drimos, Psathaki
- To Aktion city from the airport: public bus – 25 min
Skiathos Airport – IATA code JSI
~ 0.5 million passengers
- Also called: Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport
- Nearby cities: Achladias, Xanemos, Kalivia
- To Skiathos city from the airport: shuttle bus – 20 min
Kavala Airport – IATA code KVA
~ 0.2 million passengers
- Also called: Alexander the Great Airport
- Nearby cities: Toska, Sanatorio, Chalkero
- To Kavala city from the airport: shuttle bus – 15 min
Karpathos Airport – IATA code AOK
~ 0.2 million passengers
- Also called: /
- Nearby cities: Lakki, Aperi, Arkasa
- To Karpathos city from the airport: shuttle bus – 20 min, taxi – 15 min
Chios Airport – IATA code JKH
~ 0.2 million passengers
- Also called: Omiros Airport
- Nearby cities: Karfas, Vrontados, Nenita
- To Chios city from the airport: taxi – 10 min
Kalamata Airport – IATA code KLX
~ 0.3 million passengers
- Also called: Captain Vasilis Konstantakopoulos
- Nearby cities: Fares, Akovitika, Leika
- To Kalamata city from the airport: public bus – 20 min
Araxos Airport – IATA code GPA
~ 0.1 million passengers
- Also called: Agammemnon Airport
- Nearby cities: Metochi, Limnochori, Kalamaki, Lakkopetra
- To Araxos city from the airport: public bus – 30 min
Airports in the neighbouring countries