Kastelli, Heraklion

Kastelli (, also Καστέλι) is a village and a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Minoa Pediada, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 6,819 (2001 census).

Airport

It is planned that a replacement for Heraklion International Airport, "Nikos Kazantzakis" will be situated on the south western side of the Hellenic Air Force Base of Kastelli, from which the Air Force currently operates Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters.The idea was first launched in 1986 by then Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The proposal has officially entered the implementation phase, and tenders have been invited. The new airport will become operational in 2014. The existing airport in Heraklion will be closed and the area of 278 hectares (687 acres) will be returned to local communities for a large urban regeneration plan.

The creation of the new airport will require new roads, water and sanitation projects, including the transfer of the settlements located within the proposed runway (Archangelos, Roussochoria). The construction of a 17 km road will connect the airport with the National Road along the north coast of Crete, in the neighbourhood of Chersonissos. When finished, the distance from the city of Iraklio to the new airport will be approximately 40 kilometers. Complaints have been filed...
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