The Company was established to develop, operate, and maintain the new Heraklion Airport. Our vision, however, reaches far beyond that—to create an airport that reflects the spirit of Crete and the aspirations of its people.

Vision | Mission

This new airport is not just about functionality; it’s about shaping the future of travel. By offering exceptional curated services, building trusted partnerships, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable growth, the airport will transform the way people travel in Crete, and will set a new benchmark for regional airports across the Mediterranean.

The new airport will be a source of pride for all of us – the people of Crete, the highly committed employees and partners who bring this to life, and everyone who calls this island home. Together, with the passion and dedication of everyone involved, we are building more than an airport. We are creating a gateway that honors Crete’s heritage and embodies the ideals of its future generations.

We are creating a gateway that honors Crete's heritage and embodies the ideals of its future generations.

History

International Airport Heraklion Crete Concession S.A. is a special purpose entity, established to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the New International Airport of Heraklion, Crete, under a 35-year concession agreement ratified by Greek law 4612/2019 along with the design, construction and financing of Connecting Roads.

The Company was formally established as a société anonyme in February 2019 while the Concession Start Date was in February 2020. The new airport, currently under construction and expected to begin operations in 2027, will replace the existing Heraklion Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis”.

The Company’s shareholding structure consists of 45.9% owned by the Hellenic Republic, 32.5% owned by GEK TERNA Kasteli S.M.S.A., and 21.6% owned by GMR Airports Greece S.M.S.A.

GEK TERNA Kasteli S.M.S.A. belongs to the GEK Terna Group of Companies, one of the leading business groups in Greece with investments exceeding € 2.5 billion in the recent years. The Group holds a leading position in the fields of infrastructure, energy production, supply and trade of thermal and recyclable energy sources, concessions, waste management and real estate development and management, with operations in Greece, Central and Southeastern Europe, the USA and the Middle East, and a total of 4,000 employees worldwide.

GMR Airports Greek S.M.S.A. is a Greek subsidiary of GMR Airports Infrastructure Limited, a member of the GMR Group based in India, which was introduced in the airports sector in the early 2000s and is now one of the top 5 airport development and operations companies in the world. Apart from being the largest private airport company in India, it is also the only Indian company to have developed and operated airports outside India, among which is the Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul.