International Airport Nikos Kazantzakis Reviews

Airport looked old and worn down.Not many facilities and possibly no a/c as hot airport.Generally very busy with passengers esp in summer months.I found airport staff helpful and friendly.Could be a better airport as Crete is heavily dependent on tourism;requires more investment.Crete however is an amazing holiday destination!!

I have to honestly say that this airport is poorly organized on the way home. You stand in line for about 60m for security and the check-in is halfway ok but on the whole you have to wait a lot. That means bringing time and nerves.

One of the worst experiences I 've ever had.
It's a shame to have such a bad airport and staff in a such beautiful island.
People that work for Olympic and Aegean airlines (which are the same company) don't know how to help you and how to do their job. They need to rehire people that they are at least trained and Aegean needs to keep up the name as the only airline company in Greece.

Indulgently unacceptable situation for a hub airport, especially when it is characterized as INTERNATIONAL !!!
Long delay in check-in, for no apparent reason. (25.06.2020).
Crowded, damaged fountains in the women's toilets on departures, without a trace of soap, especially in the midst of a pandemic.
Unruly, rude and uneducated employees on arrival (19.07.2020), with racist behavior towards a person from a vulnerable group, who did not wear a mask due to respiratory difficulties. They demanded that he leave the inside of the airport, while the specific person was waiting to receive his luggage and in addition not to use the toilets either!
This employee left his post and waited outside the toilets, continuing his aggressive, racist and condemnable behavior!
SHAME!!!!

Everything was well organized, lots of friendly helpers, very fond of children. Good service.

We arrived here and flew back to Germany. And had no major problems, the airport is older and you can see that, partly was probably something renovated. Our arrival took place without major problems. The toilets after the suitcase issue on the way to the exit were okay. The suitcases were there after a short wait. We landed at 9 o'clock in the morning. When checking in for departure, we did not need 15 minutes at the counter and the baggage claim needed, also in the morning at 9:00 clock. We also did not queuing at the security checkpoint and we were through in no time. In our area of Gate A, everyone had a place to sit. Again, the new toilets on the upper floor were usable and relatively clean. The coffee tasted delicious and the cell phone charging stations were handy. All the staff we dealt with at the airport were friendly and nice. One problem was the incomprehensible and too soft announcements. Also, the signage is not the best.

Chaos! Disorder all around and very unorganised. The ladies that take care of the toilets were very helpful though and do their best. But the facilities overall... a mess. It's ashame..

This airport is an impertinence! If you land there as early as possible, the luggage is available relatively quickly and you could quickly leave this airport. However, I cannot recommend the toilets either! You would think that the sanitary facilities would be cleaned in the morning, but none!
On departure I can only recommend the VIP Check In to the respective airline. You don't have to worry about anything anymore, so you don't have to queue and wait around. You wait for boarding in a VIP lounge and are brought to the plane in front of all other passengers.
Unfortunately, the toilets are underground there too! I saw a cleaning lady, but she only flooded the floor, and in no way cleaned the toilet or refilled soap, toilet paper Be sure to have a disinfection wipe / spray with you.

We confirm all the previous opinions: airport completely saturated and disorganized. This is the only disappointing thing in Crete!

Probably the nastiest airport I've been to. Toilets is a direct gamble, go there.

Dirty. No toilet seats. Strong smell of urine. Poorly laid out. Rude staff. Not enough seating. Nowhere to charge your phone. Far too busy - clearly can't handle the volume of people going through.
Not thorough with bag checking/security.
Spend as little time as possible here.

You would never think this is an airport. Run down and dirty. The toilets have no glasses and you can not lock the door.

Awful and dirty airport. In the bathroom dirty, no paper and broken door locks.

Can not join the bad reviews. Ok, the airport is quite clear, but also compact. In my meanwhile around the 20 arrivals and departures I have not found any dirty toilets. The airport staff is not there to animate, rude but no one was so far. The rooms are already by the usual construction already pleasantly cool and my bags I get on arrival always much faster than on the way back in Germany.

It is always worse, but I think it really is not possible anymore.
Waiting at Check In then again for suitcase delivery a total of 1.5 hours. Then same game again at the security check. Unfortunately, everything is here without organization and plan what is incomprehensible.
Here you will be helped immediately to get back into the chaotic everyday life. Holiday recovery value in 1.5 hours to 0.

A small, undersized airport, old equipment, check of documents and boarding passes are done manually. If you have a boarding pass printed in your own language, be aware that they do not understand the names of the months and will obstruct the check.
Toilets are very unkempt.

Few staff, a lot of flies and a scrub especially in the toilets

Before 2000, the airport was suitable for the requirements. The increased flight volume, making the airport a place to avoid at the moment. the waiting hall feels like at the cattle market. The airport square at all seams. It is difficult to get to the flight on time with the tour operators' usual coaches. My recommendation on departure. Travel by taxi BEFORE the buses arrive.

Unfortunately we are sorry to mention that there was no toilet paper, no soap and no paper towels in the men's toilets as the air dryer was out of order.
The same situation in women's toilets.
Other than that the bad smell was unbearable even though we were wearing a mask.
I hope all the bad comments from travelers are taken into account for improvement.

Fantastic, very efficient.We were straight through.

Bad experience all around. The airport is filthy, too small for the amount of people and airplanes. Our flights was delayed in both directions for an hour because there was no place for landing. The waiting areas are small and have not enough sits to accommodate 60% of the passengers. People stand for hours, waiting for the flight or sit on the stairs, or floor if there is even enough place, because it is very crowded even standing.

Attention the scales at the check in are not calibrated !!! From about 21.2 were fixed 23.4 kg. Tolerance was not deducted, the suitcase was driven away and it was said, you should pay at the service counter.

In itself ok but then it said there 45, - and no chance to come to the suitcase to take something as hand luggage. Thanks for that...

No toilets, no running water and extremely dirty. (Men and women) Best to hold on to the plane ...

The new departure area seems good . But they have to renovate all the airport

I have already seen many airports around the world. But this is by far the worst of Allen. Catastrophic check in (airport bursting at the seams), disgusting toilets, too small area at the gates. The only star I can award is the cheap water at the gates.

The most infectious airport I've ever been to !!!
I DO NOT RECOMMEND !!!

The dirtiest, overcrowded and outdated airport I was on.
Leaves a bad last impression of the beautiful island

More unfriendly people would not be found anywhere else.

Why must she scream so loud through the microphone???

Also the information desk never answers the phone.

The place is small, crowded and there's no bar or restaurant, so brace yourself

Clean environment, very good service, easy access to the list of arrivals and departures

Heard nothing but bad reviews about this airport but flew there and back in September and didn't have any issues.
Flying in, it's small, cramped and dark.
Leaving there was nothing wrong. Check in was quick and easy. Signs are easy to follow, security was really easy again. Staff were friendly, wished us a nice flight. It's small and there's minimal selection for food etc. But it wasn't dirty like lots of people have said.. we were offered fast track and didn't use it, heard a lot of people say this was a rip off.

The worst airport I have encountered. Waited outside in a long queue for 45 minutes and just prior to entering the building we were told our plane to Bristol was boarding. We were raced through customs and security then had to find our departure gate. No time for shopping or even to use the toilet. It is a shame because Crete was such a wonderful place but we will not be returning because of the inefficient Heraklion Airport.

Far too small, too little staff to handle the vacationers.
Cleanliness is not a top priority.

Unfriendly and unqualified staff. Beug computer we were redirected to the wrong boarding gates. Nothing is displayed and the staff sends you for a walk. Allow 3 hours before departure. Few check-in counter and no explanation given. As a result, we left 40min late because passengers got lost. Fortunately the airport is small.

More services and more modern for 2 years (rooms in boarding floors) on the ground floor not always very simple side check-in counters!

I give 2 stars for this airport. about checking in, baggage drop and and the Duane check I was satisfied, went well and smoothly. But the beauty of the airport was very terrible especially the toilets were very smelly, no lock and no toilet seat. . Since many people use this airport you actually expect a reasonably clean airport, but unfortunately that was not the case.

The worst airport I have ever had the displeasure of visiting. After queuing for nearly an hour to check in, once reaching the front of the line the girl at the counter waved her hand at us to come over. When we approached her I said hello and was surprised to see that she completely ignored us and sat there talking and laughing with her coworkers for a few minutes. She was very unprofessional, which was the only consistency I found within the airport, and I could see that she had not put the label on my suitcase on properly. I told her this and she glared at me and asked the next person to come forward. When we arrived at the airport in England, one of our suitcases was missing. I can't say that I was shocked after the incompetence we experienced within the Greek airport. Our suitcase never actually left the airport and we have now been waiting 4 days for it to be returned. The staff throughout the airport were all very unprofessional, not checking boarding passes or passports sufficiently, which was very alarming. I do not think any of the staff there take their job seriously and I'm surprised that it hasn't been closed down.

Tourist airport stop .. Very overcrowded and hardly a trace of Corona .. No minimum distances are kept and endless people in a narrow space ... Bus from the gate to the plane overcrowded ...

Back in time, nothing has changed in 30 years. Bad logistics, hectic, dirty and outdated. I am totally surprised that this still exists.

Toilets in very poor maintenance no toilet seats blocked no hot water or hand jel. No paper to wipe hands and hand dryers didn't work.

Very poorly organized.
Nothing cleaned.
Very disappointing!

Nice airport, everything looks a bit chaotic, but works wonderfully. Super nice people work here. See you soon :)

The purest horror. Completely outdated airport that is not designed for the amount of passengers. There are too many people around who do not know where to go. Quarrels at the car rental companies, totally dirty / bekotzte toilets, eternal waiting times, no coordination of the staff, long queues in the Taxfree shop through which one unfortunately through must also if you do not want to buy. Crete is a beautiful island but the airport a nightmare

This, of course, is cruel. This airport is a mockery of common sense. Old, posharpanny, clearly not designed for such a passenger flow. The person is lazy and indifferent, everything is very slow. Fix 2.5 hours for departure. Queues everywhere. First, you stand 40min and get a boarding pass, and then you stand in another queue to hand over your luggage. You can stand there as much.
On passport control, too, can be 30-60 minutes.
Aeroflot has its own racks, they are in the part of the airport where the queues are smaller.

How does the government of the island fail to understand that this airport defames the image, delivers a lot of negativity to departing, lubricates the impression of rest? Local people say that the construction of a new one is underway, for 3 years already and for another 5 years ...

Worse airport probably does not exist - cramped spaces, the number of passengers exceeds the capacity of the airport so you can expect: breathtaking, areas without air conditioning, dirt, you have no place to sit, extremely stinking toilets that nobody cleans. Messy boarding, prices in duty free shops like Paris and the most fun is vip lounge for 45 euros without toilets (yes go to those stinky toilets across the hall) and with broken wifi. I didn't dare to try the food ...

Badly organized check-in counters underground and actually not portable during Corona times. No distance is possible and compliance with the mask requirement is not checked.

Small airport with tt the advantages and disadvantages of being one. Pros: tt rental companies, or at least many, sn immediately reachable on foot. Getting in and out of the car is very fast. Quick check in and check. Cons: poorly organized, very few seats. REMEMBER: you have to print your boarding passes because they don't accept digital ones on smartphones !!!

Our experience with this airport was very bad. This airport does not have any meaningful measurements regarding COVID-19. All flights got delayed and the Airport wasn't able to handle the mass of people waiting in the small security area. We missed one flight because we weren't able to wait directly at our gate and the announcements are not broadcaster across the full waiting area.

Dirtiest airport I've ever seen. Toilets cannot be locked without glasses and doors. The incompetence of the staff, both at check-in and in the duty free shop, is hard to beat. 1 hour 50 before departure, the staff did not know where the check-in would be. Internet and computers seem to have not been available for so long, because the staff was overwhelmed with them everywhere.

Our experience with Heraklion Airport, Saturday, end of September:

1. Yes, the airport is old
2. Yes, the airport is certainly too small for the mass of people who move through it every day.
3.Yes, the toilets are an impertinence.

The arrival was unproblematic. After a short transfer by bus to the terminal, we had our bags after 15 minutes and were able to pick up our rental car.

The departure was already in my mind's eye the cruel horror scenario that was drawn by the pre-posters .. luckily I would be bitterly disappointed. The scoreboard reliably shows all flights for the next 3 hours. on. Baggage handover is no problem despite 0.5 kg.
Security screening is only a few meters away from the counter. The screening went from normal to rapid, measured by southern European standards .. I'm used to worse from Hamburg Airport.
Escaping the claims, the area is well air-conditioned and the somewhat bustling departure hall is pleasantly tempered. You can also find seats, especially if you arrange with other travelers.

Conclusion: Everything is half as wild, (probably) if you are already traveling at the start of the off-season.

P.S. The beach right next to the airport is worth a detour!

No toilet paper anywhere, dirty everywhere. Barely an airport, nevermind an international one.

Major capacity issues and the airport is very chaotic. Very dirty bathrooms as well.

We flew in the afternoon at 17 o'clock and had no problems. Fast check-in and security check.

Cleanliness is really under all sow .... but heck.

Last year on Kos the airport was much worse.

Absolutely shocking experience!
Enormous queues everywhere for everything..
Que up inside then outside then join the enormous que to have your passport checked then que up to get to your gate then a massive rush to catch your plane!!
Terribly organisation, rude staff standing around giggling..
Has put me off ever going to Crete again!

Very poorly organized, no air conditioning, waiting 2h in line for baggage drop, and additional hour in front of staircase which was blocked before boarding.
Super-spreader event during Covid19 as everybody squeezes in the narrow hallway.
Highly unresponsible.
Restrooms are a total failure (old and dirty).

Dirty, unfriendly staff, long lines, 20 minutes of paper jam when you drop off your suitcase, all in all confusing, chaotic, poorly or not at all signposted, disgusting pissed toilets. Total nerve action!

Disorganized, Dirty, Crowded and Unfriendly Staff. Toilets are an absolute disaster

In general it was okay and a quick process, but strange when selling, cigarettes were not sold to Europeans and the ouzo bottle from the airport hall was not allowed through, had to be returned with a backpack as extra luggage, everything is like that excited that the overall impression was ruined

Very small airport, pretty standard with few amenities. Ready to rent a car to drive the island. Bathrooms were a little dirty no kids changing rooms.

Do not go luke Luca rude and arrogant !!! I asked for two espressos and 1 espresso macchiato and I trimmed a big glass of milk, when I said that I had ordered stained continued to recite six fifty for several times, in practice pay and go!
Finally among them in Greek they shot Italians here and there, remove Italian from the sign, please!

organization of the massacre check, 3 queues are a bit too much.

We received the PLF document with the QR code by email 6 hours before departure. We printed it out. Presented briefly to the airport staff on arrival. The code itself was not scanned. Passengers who did not have the PLF document in paper form showed the document on their smartphone.

We did not know whether anyone was tested on our flight.

A small by the looks of it, chaotic airport, which is mostly lacking ventilation. In the summer months especially in the waiting rooms there is no fresh air.

Terrible and old airport. Suitcases of different flights are allowed on one luggage line. Not enough space and very crowded ...

A catastrophic airport ... Two luggage belts on which the luggage of four aircraft runs at the same time. You can then probably rhyme together what's going on there.
It is best to leave the building as quickly as possible. And very important ... it is best to go to the toilet again on the plane. What you will find there in terms of sanitary facilities is sheer horror. No toilet seat, no paper, the door couldn't be locked and everything was very shabby.

Unfortunately, the airport left a very bad impression when we arrived and when we left.

When we arrived we had to wait over an hour for the luggage. Even though several planes had arrived, all the luggage belts remained empty.

On departure you have to check in first and then take your luggage to another counter. Since the lines at the counters are very long, it takes a lot of time.
Once you have gone through all the controls, a totally overcrowded lounge area awaits you. We can only hope that a fire or panic never breaks out here. Unfortunately, as a vegetarian, you lost behind the controls. Not even a sandwich was to be found.

The crowning glory is the toilets. They were dirty and in very poor condition. In some parts of the waiting area it was impossible to stay because the toilets smelled extremely.

Too bad, because the vacation on Crete was otherwise totally nice. Unfortunately we will not come back until the airport has been renewed.

Unfortunately, neglected, efficient and friendly service, no VIP lounge for Schengen

Small, messy, Wi-Fi not available near the boarding gates (at least A2-A5), not enough seats for waiting passengers, broken and dirty toilets.

No air conditioning, not enough seats for the amount of people, loads of staff doing nothing which makes it messy, toliets with pee all over the floor just needs a good revamp

The airport is a pure catastrophe, there are no signs outside how to get to the check-in, everything is in a heap, cracks in the ceiling, departure hall crowded, no toilet paper on the toilet and it smells extremely in the toilet, when the ground staff say something in the loudspeaker, you don't hear it, it's stuffy.

Conclusion: -10 stars

Not suitable for the traffic it has to bear, it has the advantage of being very close to the city. It will have to survive until the new Kastelli airport opens.

Small airport, I guess that depending on the time that the flight is due there will be more or less people. For me was perfect, my flight was at 23:25,no queues at all, security went really fast. This is one of the few airports that doesn't charge you for a bottle of water like if it was coming with gold or something. The price are reasonable.

disgusting place! No hygiene ! No toilet roll no towers no Hand dryers ! Ask for toilet roll been told to talk to government ! International airport people can speak english what's ever ! Never come-back to crete !!!! Thanks Greace !

One of the worst airport layouts I have ever experienced. It was a busy day when I was there, but it was in May and not even peak season. I would avoid at all costs during the summer. The duty free store is the same size as all of the flight waiting areas, and more space is desperately needed for the gate areas. Maybe they will make enough money on the oversized duty free area to fund a gate expansion.

Am very at peace, has been modernized. Thank you very much it was totally relaxed!

Very dirty toilets,
Small stuffy airport ... too small for so many people.
Traveling is no fun!

Airport is very run down and in need of investment. Very limited catering once you are through security.

Small and not very new but there are all the services. The bus station for heraklion center is well signposted at the exit of the airport on the left. On the way back, the stop is just a stone's throw away. Check in pretty fast, just a bit of a hassle because the suitcase from the check in counter has to take you to the security desk for the scanner. However everything in the norm

Stuffed, overcrowded spaces and ground crew managed to break a suitcase completely.

No organization in this airport. Messy, bad security and dirty. Many toilets were broken, shops are very standard for any airport. Both on arrival as on departure things went not good organized. Something to learn here.

Looks all modern, but the toilets here are horribly dirty and smelly.