Chania: Record 3.18m passengers at airport

Chania’s ‘Ioannis Daskalogiannis’ airport exceeded 3 million passengers in 2026, according to figures released by operator Fraport Greece. From the start of the year to August 2026, a total of 3,187,722 passengers were recorded, compared to 2,933,219 in the same period of 2025 - a growth that confirms the continued upward trajectory of western Chania as a destination in the international tourism market, a milestone reached nearly a full month before the main tourist season ends.

In August 2026 alone, traffic at Daskalogiannis reached approximately 776,000 passengers, up 6.3% compared to August 2025. Britain led international arrivals for the month with 120,433 passengers, followed by Greece with 118,708 and Germany with 80,912. July recorded the highest monthly traffic of the year, however, with 790,941 passengers, slightly exceeding August. The same upward trend is reflected across all 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece, where August handled a total of 7.1 million passengers, a 5.1% increase year-on-year - with domestic traffic up 5.7% (approximately 968,000 passengers) and international up 5% (6.2 million passengers). These figures show that the growth trend affects not only Chania but the entire network of regional airports in the country.

For Chania, surpassing 3 million passengers in a single year is evidence of the firm position the destination has now established internationally. The increased passenger traffic is directly linked to the region’s tourism activity, as each additional flight translates into visitors supporting accommodation, dining, transport and local businesses across the prefecture. At the same time, the figures confirm that the airport continues to function as a key gateway to western Crete, with steadily increasing traffic year after year, raising questions about infrastructure, passenger services and capacity for the region’s future. For how the region manages the increased mobility, see also the article on European Mobility Week in Chania.

Since 2017, when the 14 regional airports were conceded, over 280 million passengers have travelled in total through the airports managed by Fraport Greece, according to the company’s figures. With Chania having already surpassed the 3 million milestone this year and September not yet counted in the annual tally, 2026’s final figure is expected to exceed last year’s levels. Managing the increasing traffic is also linked to the broader infrastructure investment programme for the region, such as the Crete Regional Authority’s programme by municipality, as local infrastructure must keep pace with growing tourism demand. See also all the latest news from Chania.