Airports in Greece: A Complete List of Greek Islands With Airports
Airports in Greece: A Complete List of Greek Islands With Airports
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Not all Greek islands have airports! Some of them you will have to reach by sea. There is also one island that you can simply drive to. If you are not a fan of sea journeys or would prefer to reach your location faster and begin your holiday as soon as possible, these Greek islands with airports might be just for you.
For a refresher on which Greek islands belong to which group, check our master guide to the Greek islands.
Want to figure out which Greek island is for you?
- Rhodes
- Kos
- Astypalaia
- Kalymnos
- Karpathos
- Kasos
- Leros
Greek Cities With Airports in Crete
Crete island is the largest in Greece and one of the largest in the whole of the Mediterranean Sea.
The two main airports are Chania and Heraklion and there is also a smaller one in Lassithi, that is also referred to as Sitia Airport.
Heraklion is the largest city, located in the middle of the island and the second busiest in Greece. Heraklion Airport welcomes more than 8 million annual visitors.
Chania Airport, in the western part of Greece, serves approximately 3 million visitors. Sitia Airport is a smaller airport on the eastern coast of Crete, that operates during the summer months. Charter flights from Olympic Air, Sky Express, Jet Time and Scandinavian Airlines fly through Sitia Airport.
Crete is an ideal island for family holidays, romantic getaways or nature enthusiasts. It also makes an excellent early spring or late autumn island destination in Greece.
Greek Islands With Airports in Sporades
Sporades is a complex of twenty four islands but only the four main ones have permanent residents.
Skiathos is the main airport in the area, with half a million annual arrivals, both international and domestic.
The airport of Skiathos, named after the famous novelist and local, Alexandros Papadiamantis, is often considered one of the most interesting airports worldwide, drawing comparisons to Princess Juliana on Saint Maarten. Aviation enthusiasts can watch as planes approach the runaway and perform impressive low landings. Accidents are few but can happen.
There are many regional and charter flights throughout the busy summer months.
The much smaller Skyros airport only serves Athens and Thessaloniki during the summer months.The islands in the complex of Sporades are known for their lush forests, green waters, peaceful beaches and traditional aesthetic. Whether you choose to fly into Skiathos or catch a ferry from the mainland you will arrive sure of having made the right choice!
Greek Islands With Airports in the Dodecanese
There are seven airports on the main twelve islands that make up the Dodecanese complex of Greek islands.
The most popular island and largest airport is located in Rhodes. More than 5.5 million people fly through Rhodes International Airport each year, to discover the beauty of The Island of Knights, as it is often referred as. More than 60 airlines fly into Rhodes airport with most international destinations only operating during the busy summer months. Rhodes is also an excellent winter time island destination. You can still find flights during the winter but you will most probably have to transit through Athens or Thessaloniki.
You will also find airports in the smaller Dodecanese islands:
Kos – Flights to Kos can be found all year from Athens and Thessaloniki. The duration from Athens to Kos is 1 hour. It serves 2.5 million visitors each year.
Astypalaia – Only domestic flights come through Astypalaia’s airport, mostly during the summer months. There were 12 thousand arrivals in 2019.
Kalymnos – Another small airport that operates mostly during the summer months. Sky Express flies into Kalymnos from Athens, Rhodes and some nearby islands.
Karpathos – Probably the busiest airport in the area after Rhodes, and Kos but with limited facilities. A dozen airlines fly into Karpathos during the summer months, with international flights from Italy, Scandinavia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Serbia.
Kasos – A very small airport that has limited flights from nearby Karpathos and Rhodes.
Leros – You can only fly into Leros from Athens or nearby Rhodes, Kalymnos, Kos and Astypalaia. Very limited flights.
Greek Islands With Airports in the Cyclades
Most international visitors coming to Greece will find themselves in at least one of the Cyclades islands.
Whether you are catching a fast ferry from Piraeus or flying directly, the islands of the Cyclades are well connected to the rest of Greece and Europe.
Santorini is the island of sunsets, volcanic rocks, otherworldly views and incredible wine. It is also the most popular of the airports in the area, with around 2.3 million visitors each year. More than 20 airlines fly into Santorini and you will find plenty of direct flights from European cities during the summer months.
Mykonos International Airport is on the Top 10 of busiest Greek airports, behind Santorini and Zakynthos. You can also find year-round flights for Mykonos from Athens as well as charter flights during the busy season. Outside of the two main airports you can also fly into Paros, Naxos, Milos and Syros.
Paros – Paros has become a very popular island with its stunning beaches, Cycladic architecture and cosmopolitan charm. Its new airport opened in 2016, with regular flights from Athens and seasonal charter flights during the summer months. It replaced the Old Paros Airport that had a short and narrow runway that was not sufficient.
Naxos – A small airport with a single terminal that serves around 90 thousand visitors each year.
Milos – Only smaller aircraft are able to land at Milos Airport that has limited services and charter flights from Athens.
Syros – Another very small airport with a single runway. You can reach the island by plane if you fly Sky Express from Athens.
Greek Islands With Airports in the Eptanisa
Eptanisa translates to seven, which is how many islands make up this complex. They are also called Ionian Islands after the Ionian Sea.
Here you will find verdant vegetation and turquoise colored waters that look and feel like a tropical faraway destination.
The largest of the Ionian Islands is Kefalonia, with stunning beaches and a rich cultural history. The main airport welcomed 700 thousand visitors in 2019, mostly during the summer months. Flights also operate year-round from Athens through Olympic Express.
The rest of the airports in the region are:
Zante – Zante or Zakynthos is one of the most famous Greek islands. Its airport had almost 2 million visitors in 2019.
Corfu – Corfu or Kerkyra is the northernmost of the Ionian islands with the 5th busiest airport in all of Greece and the 4th busiest island airport. More than three million people chose to visit Corfu in 2019 by air.
Kythira – Kythira might belong to the Ionian islands but can be found much further down in the map, under the Peloponnese and to the west of Crete. Kythira can be reached by air from Athens. Transavia also has charter flights during the summer from Amsterdam.
Greek Islands With Airports in the North Aegean
The North Aegean islands of Greece are probably some of the least visited and less well known islands in the country.
There are seven main islands, and nine smaller ones. There are also two small islands that belong to Turkey.
The North Aegean islands are also some of the largest in Greece.
The airport of Lesvos, Mytilene International Airport, receives half a million visitors. Sky Express and Olympic Air have regular flights from Athens and Thessaloniki. There are also charter flights from other European cities during the summer.
Samos – The airport of Samos has been in operation since the 70s. Interestingly, it has been getting the same steady number of visitors (300k – 500k) since the mid 90s. Samos is also famous for being the birthplace of Pythagoras.
Lemnos – Probably one of the most diverse Greek islands, with stunning beaches, unique local produce and a connection to the countries of Australia and New Zealand due to the ANZAC forces of WW I and WW II. Domestic flights arrive from Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, and nearby islands. There are also charter flights during the summer from London-Heathrow.
Chios – One of the less well known destinations that should be on your radar for future holidays. Chios has a small domestic airport with connections to Athens, Thessaloniki, and some islands nearby. With more than 60 stunning beaches, Chios is an excellent summer destination. Don’t miss our guides to the west and central part of the island, or the south.
Ikaria – Ikaria island also has a small domestic airport that connects visitors to Athens and nearby islands.
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