Guide to Karpathos Airport (AOK) Greece with infos + photos

A small, but modern airport in Greece: Karpathos Airport is a heart of the air transport and very important for tourism. You can meet this place on maps as Karpathos Island National Airport or Αεροδρόμιο Καρπάθου also.

Where is the Airport of Karpathos Island, and how to get there

One of the most important informations is its location, so let’s see where is Karpathos airport located. The facility is situated on the the southeastern part of Karpathos island, about 14 kilometers away from the capital, Pigadia. Karpathos Airport was built on the south plains of the island, which is the only place, where the geographical conditions allow a built of a long runway.

The airport of Karpathos Island is one of the smallest international airports in Greece, but it is very important for the island, because because this is the primary connection between Karpathos and other Greek islands, and of course several countries of Europe.

The IATA code which is used for Karpathos Airport is AOK, so if you are looking for a flight to Karpathos island, you need to look ‘AOK’ codename.

Karpathos National Airport informations

Despite its small size, Karpathos Airport handles most of the turism on the island, its passenger traffic was 267,828 people in the year of 2019 (in the year 2020-2021 the air traffic has fallen due to COVID-19). The facility is connected with Pigadia (Karpathos town, Κάρπαθος) by public transports, such as by local buses and by a few taxis.

The nearest village is Afiartis, paradise of windsurfers, which is literally just a few hundred meters away from the airport.

In the arrival / departure airport terminal there are some important services for travellers, such as a mini cafe bar with snacks and coffee, or a small Duty Free Shop where you can buy alcoholic drinks, tobacco, desserts or small gifts.

Outside the terminal buildings there can be find a bus stop, a small taxi station, and some parking lots.

During summer months domestic flights and international charters arrive to Karpathos Airport, but the air traffic is much less than other Greek islands, such as in Crete or in Rhodes.

Karpathos airport taxi station and terminal building

Karpathos Airport history from the beginning

Karpathos island was accessible only by the sea for a long time. As you can see on the photos, its mountanious area made very difficult to build an airport, but in the south there are some flat areas, where the engineers have developed a plan. The first constructions of Karpathos Airport began in the ’60s, and it was completed in 1970, when the first small planes were able to land in Karpathos.

In the beginning the airport has just a few small buildings and some basic services, but many decades ago, before the presence of mass tourism is was enough. In the last two decades there were several significant improvements, which make better the infrastructures and the comfort of the passengers.

The buildings of the airport were renovated and expanded, and Karpathos Airport (Αεροδρόμιο Καρπάθου) is maybe one of the smallest international airports in Greece with a tiny terminal, but it has a modern infrastructure and enough to serve the current air traffic.

Airlines and flights to Karpathos Island

Karpathos is connected by flights with some Greek islands and a lot of European country. The airlines are the following, which arrive:

Smartwings
Aegean Airlines
Olympic Air
Condor Airlines
Finnair
Scandinavian Airlines
TUI
Sky Express
Neos Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Eurowings

Countries from where airlines arrive to Karpathos: Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finnland, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovenia, Serbia, Czech Republic

The international flights and charters are seasonal, most of these operate during summer season.

Airports in Greece from where airlines arrive to Karpathos: Rhodes (RHO), Crete (HER), Kasos (KSJ), Athens (ATH)

Domestic flights to Karpathos operate during winter months, and connect the island with Rhodes, Kasos and Athens. If you fly to Karpathos island, Greece, and you are looking for apartments, studios and hotels, don’t forget to check the photos and guest reviews before travelling.

In Karpathos Airport usually you don’t have to wait long time to checking, the service is usually fast enough. The terminal of the airport has a nice views to the runway, with a small Duty Free shop and a cafeteria where you can have a coffee or a snack while waiting for departure.