- Early-morning bomb threat reported at Heraklion “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport
- An anonymous caller claimed an explosive device was on an aircraft bound for Athens
- Authorities treated the warning as real, activating full safety procedures
- Police secured the area; the bomb squad inspected the aircraft
- No device found; airport operations continued normally
The morning began with the kind of tension airports dread yet prepare for. At Heraklion’s “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport, an anonymous call to an airline’s central offices claimed that a recently parked aircraft carried an explosive device. The flight was scheduled to depart for Athens, but before anyone boarded, security protocols snapped into place with the typical Cretan efficiency that hides behind the region’s laid-back stereotype.
A Normal Morning Interrupted
Even though authorities immediately suspected the call was a prank, there was no hesitation. Police units cordoned off the area, restricting movement on the tarmac while bomb technicians boarded the plane. Passengers inside the terminal were kept informed but not alarmed, and airport operations continued with minimal disruption.
The aircraft underwent a detailed, methodical inspection—every compartment, every corner, every possibility ruled out one by one. Such checks take time, but they also prevent chaos. Heraklion knows this drill well.
Order Restored, Flight Cleared
Once the inspection was completed, the bomb squad confirmed what everyone hoped: nothing dangerous was found. The aircraft was declared safe, the flight to Athens resumed its schedule, and the airport returned to its usual rhythm of departures, arrivals, and rolling suitcases.
Heraklion Airport Director Iakovos Ouranos told Neakriti.gr that passengers were not inconvenienced and that the airport functioned smoothly throughout the incident. For travelers, it was little more than an unexpected delay; for the authorities, it was proof that procedures work exactly as designed.
