HER and LGIR: Heraklion Airport codes explained

What is the Heraklion Airport code?

HER. IATA codes are the three-letter identifiers the travel industry uses for passengers. Type HER into a flight search and you get Heraklion; it is printed on your boarding pass, on the luggage tag wrapped round your suitcase handle, and next to “Heraklion” on departure boards all over Europe. If a bag tag says HER, the bag is going to Crete.

The code is simply the first letters of the city’s name in English. It has nothing to do with the airport’s official name, Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (the story of that name is in who was Nikos Kazantzakis).

What does LGIR mean for Heraklion Airport?

LGIR is the ICAO code, the technical identifier used in flight plans, air traffic control and aviation weather reports (METAR and TAF). Passengers see it on flight-tracking apps and sometimes on pilot announcements. The structure is regional: L covers southern Europe, G means Greece, and IR identifies Heraklion (Iraklion) within Greece.

Codes of all the airports in Crete

The new Kastelli airport will get its own codes when it opens; see Kastelli airport. Not sure which of the three to fly into? Read Crete airports compared.

Where the Heraklion Airport code matters

• Booking flights: search “HER”, not “Crete”. Some sites list “Crete” as a city with two airports (HER and CHQ) and will happily sell you Chania.
• Bag tags: check the three letters at check-in on connecting trips. A bag tagged ATH stops in Athens.
• Transfers and car rental: pick-up location “HER” or “Heraklion Airport”: the same place, the forecourt outside arrivals. Book a transfer or compare car rental at HER.