Planespotting Heraklion — LGIR
Heraklion is Crete's main gateway and in summer one of the most hectic single-runway airports in Europe, squeezed between the city and the sea on the north coast. Almost everything uses runway 09/27; the short cross runway 12/30 sees little more than occasional military use. The prevailing northerly and westerly winds make 27 the normal direction, so arrivals come in low over the water from the east, past Karteros beach, which is where most legal spotting happens. The airport is also a Hellenic Air Force base, and this is the Greek airport where spotters most often get into trouble: soldiers have told visitors that any photo with the airfield in the background is forbidden, and arrests have been reported. Stick to sky-backed approach shots from the beach, never enter the military area by the shore, and expect the whole scene to change once the new airport at Kastelli opens later this decade.
Conditions right now
Runways
- 09/27 2,709 × 45 m · 8,888 × 148 ft asphalt
- 12/30 RWY 30 1,565 × 49 m · 5,135 × 161 ft asphalt
- 18/36 794 × 39 m · 2,605 × 128 ft asphalt
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 11:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody82%
- Turboprop9%
- Widebody3%
- Bizjet3%
- Military2%
- GA1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Karteros Beach clubs
The relaxed and safest option: a sunbed in one of the beach clubs along Karteros Beach, with 27 arrivals passing over the sea in front of you. Aircraft are a little higher and further away than from the western end of the beach, but nobody bothers you here. Watch for the blue cast the sea reflects onto white fuselages.
- Getting there
- Karteros Beach runs east from the airport along the old Heraklion–Agios Nikolaos road. City bus 7 runs from Heraklion along the coast; the beach clubs have their own parking. Order something if you take a lounger.
- Best time
- Runway 27 arrivals (the normal direction) from late morning to late afternoon.
- Lens
- 400–500 mm for narrowbodies.
Beach road by Léschi Aeroporías (west end of Karteros)
At the western end of the beach, closest to the runway, the small road beside the Léschi Aeroporías restaurant gives the best angle on 27 arrivals while they are still over the water. Shooting over sea rather than over the rocks of the nearby church hill means far less heat haze. The restaurant and its car park belong to the Air Force and are off-limits — stay on the public beach side.
- Getting there
- Via the old national road towards Agios Nikolaos; park in the public beach parking bay just south-east of the restaurant. Bus 7 from Heraklion stops nearby, bus 12 runs back. There are no signs marking where the military area starts, so keep to the beach.
- Best time
- 27 arrivals from around midday until about 18:00 in late summer and autumn.
- Lens
- 300–350 mm for an A320.
Side street by the supermarket on the port road
West of the terminal, along the road towards the port and city centre, a side street next to a large supermarket car park ends near the fence with a view of 27 arrivals and departures. It is the only spot within walking distance of the terminal. Parked aircraft can block the runway view, and staff have sent spotters away from the store's own lot — use the parallel street to the west instead.
- Getting there
- 10–15 minutes on foot from the terminal bus stops, or park at the supermarket. Shoot from public ground, keep it short, and keep the airfield infrastructure out of the frame given the military sensitivity.
- Best time
- Late morning to late afternoon; heat haze is heavy by midday in July and August.
- Lens
- 100–200 mm.
Terminal gate windows (airside)
If you are flying out, the northern glass front of the departure gates gives you the ramp with the runway and the sea behind it. A good way to log the charter mix at the end of a holiday.
- Getting there
- Airside only, so a valid boarding pass is required. Windows are often dirty.
- Best time
- Late morning to late afternoon.
- Lens
- 50–300 mm.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Between May and October Heraklion is a parade of holiday airlines: TUI, Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair, Condor, Eurowings, Transavia, Smartwings and a long tail of smaller charter operators from Scandinavia, Poland, Israel and the Netherlands — the place to catch less common leisure carriers. Aegean, Olympic Air and Sky Express link the island with Athens and Thessaloniki, mixing A320s with ATRs. Military traffic includes Hellenic Air Force C-27J and C-130 transports and the occasional fast jet. In winter the schedule shrinks to mostly domestic flights.
What actually flew over Heraklion in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 75 %
- A20N 25 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Heraklion?
Open Spotterra's live map to see every aircraft over Heraklion and the Cretan coast in real time — type, registration, origin and height, free and without an app.
Is it safe to photograph planes at Heraklion?
Only with care. The airport is partly an Air Force base and spotters have been stopped and even arrested. Shoot arrivals against sky from Karteros Beach, avoid the airfield and military aircraft in the background, and leave immediately if asked.
Which way do planes land at Heraklion?
Usually on runway 27, approaching from the east over the sea past Karteros. Spotterra estimates the active direction from the live METAR.
When is the best time to spot at HER?
June to September, when charter flights from all over Europe peak. Winter traffic is thin and mostly domestic.
Spotterra watches the sky over Heraklion
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
Start spotting freeMore in Southern Europe: Madrid · Barcelona · Palma de Mallorca · Tenerife South · Rome · Milan · All 204 airports →