A scene of disruption has been unfolding since Wednesday afternoon at Heraklion “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport, as African dust covering the region has caused major problems for air travel.

The dense dust has created an almost suffocating environment, with visibility extremely limited. According to residents’ reports, in several cases it does not exceed 100 meters, making flight operations extremely difficult and even dangerous.

The impact on flight schedules was immediate, with mass cancellations recorded from midday onwards, affecting both arrivals and departures.

According to Heraklion Airport manager Iakovos Ouranos, nine international flights and two domestic flights have been cancelled so far, with a similar number of departures also affected.

At the same time, videos and photos capture the scale of disruption for passengers. Dozens of people remain stranded inside the airport, with severe overcrowding in waiting areas and service points, as they seek information about their flights.

Apocalyptic scenes across Crete

African dust has created a suffocating atmosphere across Crete, with areas such as Heraklion, Rethymno, and Chania resembling a landscape… from Mars.

Dust concentrations are expected to gradually subside from the evening, but a new wave of dust transport is forecast for Thursday.

Meanwhile, experts urge caution—especially for vulnerable groups—due to the severely degraded air quality.