- Two young German tourists arrested at Heraklion airport after lighting cigarettes on the tarmac.
- The flight was delayed 15 minutes while authorities extinguished both the smoke and the fire.
- In Chania, a 53-year-old Swedish woman staged a tipsy showdown with staff before resisting arrest.
- All three ended their holidays not with raki, but with handcuffs and paperwork.
The Cigarettes That Delayed a Plane
Nothing says farewell to Crete like sparking up a cigarette in the middle of a restricted runway zone. At Heraklion’s Nikos Kazantzakis airport, two German tourists—26 and 27 years old—stepped off their transfer bus, paused in the summer heat, and decided the best way to celebrate their return to the Fatherland was to inhale a Marlboro surrounded by jet fuel.
The flight was delayed 15 minutes, not due to weather, but because police had to escort the pair from “departures” to “detention.” The lesson here is that while Crete is famous for its smoking grandpas at kafeneia, lighting up on an active runway is not quite the same tradition.
The Chania Cabaret
Meanwhile, at Chania airport, a 53-year-old Swedish woman was determined not to be outdone. Allegedly drunk and disorderly, she harassed tourism staff before police were summoned. Instead of sobering up, she went on a complete rampage, shouting, refusing to cooperate, and reportedly taking verbal swings—if not literal—at the officers.
Her heroic stand ended, predictably, in handcuffs and a trip to the local police station—charges: disruption of service and resisting authority. Holiday photos now include a mugshot.
Crete’s airports are many things—gateways to antiquity, windows to paradise—but apparently, also impromptu comedy stages for tourist improvisation. Yesterday’s performances featured nicotine nihilism in Heraklion and Scandinavian theater in Chania. Locals are left wondering what today’s show might be: perhaps juggling carry-ons in the security line or interpretive dance at the baggage carousel.
Perhaps it is time for airlines to update their add-ons: extra baggage, priority boarding, and a new option—”arrest insurance”—for those who simply cannot resist turning Crete’s airports into their personal stage.
Επεισόδια με τουρίστες στα αεροδρόμια της Κρήτης – Συλλήψεις σε Ηράκλειο και Χανιά