Crete Juggles Airport Delay and Chrissi Island Restrictions as Tourism Surges

Overview

• The New Heraklion International Airport at Kastelli was reported 44.5% complete in September 2025, with officials now projecting the operational test phase to begin in April 2028.
• The project was previously slated to open in early 2027, later guided to December 2027, highlighting growing schedule risk after archaeological finds forced design changes.
• Planned capacity starts at 10 million passengers annually and scales to 18 million, with a 94,000‑square‑meter multi‑level terminal, 19 gates, biometric controls, on‑site energy systems, and upgraded road links.
• Heraklion’s current airport has been operating well above its summer capacity, recording about 3.8 million international passengers in 2024 and underscoring the need for the new hub.
• On Chrissi Island, a protection order for the 2025 season bans most boat landings through 31 October, keeps the interior and dunes closed, limits beach access, and follows reports of a severely dried cedar forest and ongoing cleanup actions.