Location Heraklion, Greece
Client Heraklion International Airport S.A.
Services Advisory, Construction Management, Project Management, Project Monitoring
Project Value $960 Million
Hill International is providing independent engineering services for the development of the new Heraklion International Airport at Kastelli in Crete. The new airport will replace the existing Heraklion International Airport, the second-busiest airport in the country, and is designed to serve up to 15 million annual passengers, with 10 million expected in its opening year. The new airport will enhance Crete’s air travel capacity and the safety of the island’s aviation infrastructure, while also supporting its growing tourism sector. The project is one of the most significant infrastructure initiatives currently underway in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Located on an approximately 1,500-acre greenfield site to the southeast of Crete’s administrative capital, Heraklion, the hub will feature a 93,000 SM LEED-certified terminal; a 3.2 KM code E runway; a 400,000 SM main apron; a parallel and 8 connecting taxiways; 58 mixed stands, including up to 6 code E and 39 code C commercial stands; 11 auxiliary buildings, including a 44-meter-tall control tower; 3 major infrastructure complexes, including a fuel farm, a sewage treatment plant, and waste management facilities; and a 725,000 SM commercial zone. Supporting works include the delivery of a parking area with more than 1,450 spaces, a 24 KM highway network, and Crete’s longest twin tunnel, extending 2.75 KM per tube, as well as sewage treatment and flood protection works for the wider area. The main terminal will feature 80 check-in counters, including 14 self-service baggage drop-off points; 8 C3 security screening lanes; 19 boarding gates and 10 passenger boarding bridges; and 7 baggage reclaim belts, which can be increased to 9 as required.
Hill is providing independent engineering services on behalf of Heraklion International Airport Crete S.A., the concessionaire established to design, construct, finance, operate, and maintain the new airport. In this role, Hill is reviewing the project’s design and supervising all construction activities to help ensure compliance with our client’s concession agreement with the Hellenic Republic, environmental requirements, and industry best practices. Hill’s services include monitoring of the project’s schedule; certifying payments; advising our client, the Hellenic Republic, and the contractor on technical matters; monitoring adherence to safety and quality plans; monitoring adherence to environmental regulations and sustainability initiatives; and monitoring activities related to archaeological findings, as the airport is being built in close proximity to the ancient palace complex of Knossos. Hill is also responsible for certifying the completion of the project, supervising and monitoring the airport certification process per European Union Aviation Safety Agency requirements, and monitoring the operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) program to facilitate a seamless transfer from the old airport to the new one. Notably, Hill was a key contributor in updating the airport’s master plan, helping the team increase terminal areas by 30% compared to the initial plan and incorporate design features that respond to challenges in post-pandemic aviation.
