Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR), living proof that what goes down doesn’t always flush away, earned international side-eye last year. Travelers unleashed favorites from the “Travel Nightmares” catalog, painting vivid scenes of unsanitary bathroom carnage: overflowing bins, grimy floors, and a smell that had no business in a facility servicing humans. One visitor described the experience as “appalling.” By airport standards, that’s practically poetry.
Security didn’t do much to redeem the setting either. Reports of lackluster professionalism hinted that some staff might be in the witness protection program for “good customer service.” Cleanliness was absent, maintenance was missing, and in the busiest months, the sense of hygiene was, apparently, on holiday too.
The HCAA finally read the comment cards (likely through a gas mask) and decided to treat “customer experience” as more than just a casual suggestion. At the end of the year, officials opened their wallets:
- €20 million budgeted over four years, expandable by another year “if necessary;”
- A national facility management contract for all state-run airports;
- Priority on technical repairs: from plumbing to electrical fixes;
- Regular and proactive inspections by newly invigorated cleaning committees;
- Amendments to cleaning contracts—think more frequent mopping and an actual headcount for cleaning staff;
- New stricter cleaning standards, with regular checks promised.
In case anyone doubted the seriousness, the airport’s cleaning team isn’t just getting reinforced by more staff and funds—the number of daily inspections is also on the rise. Because nothing says “we care” quite like someone lurking with a clipboard in front of the WC doors.
The Clean Sweep Crawls Across Crete, Milos, and Naxos
While Heraklion bathes in its (alleged) rebirth, other airports in Greece weren’t left to languish in their own… charm.
- Milos replaced its airport floors, spruced up the control tower with a new paint job, and installed a defibrillator, presumably for anyone suffering sanitary-facility-induced trauma. Funding came partly from local businesses, whose support suggests tourism is, in fact, everyone’s business.
- Naxos spruced up its outdoor waiting areas, added a shaded pergola, upgraded seating at arrivals and departures, and constructed accessible bathrooms. The new toilets cater to people with disabilities—a rare, logical step that might even be considered forward-thinking. There’s now an audio announcement system for passengers, just in case someone tries to escape without seeing the fresh tilework. For anyone who wondered whether cleaning could be extended beyond standard operating hours, Naxos doubled down. The cleaning budget increased, so now someone will be on “stink patrol” well into the night shift.
Cleanliness claims aren’t being made behind closed doors anymore, either. The HCAA’s Chief, Mr. G. Saounatsos, declared,
“The condition of sanitary facilities reflects our culture and hospitality. Renovation is the only option. We want every traveler’s last memory of Crete to match the beauty and positive experiences from their visit.”
Words with a suspiciously hopeful ring—time will tell how much elbow grease follows.
Elsewhere, rubber has literally been scrubbed from the Naxos runway, possibly to prevent future nose-wrinkling on touchdown.
New Measures (the Short Version)
- Renovation work started on the departure-level bathrooms at Heraklion, with arrivals next in line;
- Staff increases and cleaning shifts expanded;
- Multiple airport terminals across Greece, including Milos and Naxos, are scheduled for upgrades;
- New floors, shaded waiting areas, accessible bathrooms, and audio systems installed;
- Expanded budgets for extended cleaning hours;
- Facility management contracts are coming for technical repairs and maintenance;
- Regular inspections by cleaning committees are now routine.
Inspectors on Tour
In a surprise move, senior officials visited airports in Ikaria and Lemnos, the first of their kind in 25 years. The head of the HCAA held talks with airport staff and local authorities, allegedly discussing “cooperation” and matters of “common interest.” One can hope that at least one subject was how to keep a public toilet looking less like a Jackson Pollock painting after a turbulent summer.
More visits are planned: Milos, Kythira, Ioannina, Syros, Kastoria, Kozani, Astypalaia, Araxos, and Kastellorizo are all on the bureaucratic bucket list. The schedule reads like a cautionary tale for lax cleaning crews everywhere.
If life’s greatest adventures start with a questionable toilet, tourists flying from Heraklion may soon lose their best story. The only aroma they take home might just be from the blooming Cretan flowers. But, as with all things official, time and commuter crowds will tell if that fresh start can survive a Greek summer.