The two main airports
Heraklion Airport (HER), officially Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, is Crete's busiest airport and the second-busiest in Greece after Athens. It sits on the north coast about 5 kilometres east of Heraklion city and operates year-round, with frequent daily connections to Athens and a wide range of direct European flights during the season. It is the most convenient gateway for central and eastern Crete, including Heraklion itself, Hersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, and Sitia.
Chania Airport (CHQ), officially Ioannis Daskalogiannis Airport, sits on the Akrotiri Peninsula about 14 kilometres east of Chania town. It operates year-round domestic flights to Athens, Thessaloniki, and other Greek airports, with a large number of direct international and charter flights from across Europe between roughly April and November. It is the better choice for western Crete, including Chania, Rethymno, the Samaria Gorge, and beaches such as Balos, Falassarna, and Elafonissi.
It is worth noting that a new airport is under construction at Kasteli, southeast of Heraklion, which is intended to serve the region in the future.