Santorini
International Airport
Level 3 slots, prior permission, 40 minutes on the ground between 0500Z and 1800Z, and no parking in season. A 7,208 foot runway makes the aircraft question easy; the slot question is not.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Santorini at a glance
Santorini carries the ICAO code LGSR and the identifier JTR. A single 7,208 foot runway at 127 feet elevation with ICAO Category 7 fire cover, shared with the Hellenic Air Force.
It is IATA Level 3 slot coordinated, requires prior permission, and limits ground time to 40 minutes between 0500Z and 1800Z in season.
The Constraint
Forty minutes, then leave
Prior permission at Santorini is approved for a maximum stay of 40 minutes between 0500Z and 1800Z, which covers the whole working day. The aircraft lands, disembarks and departs to park on the mainland, usually Athens, about 40 minutes away.
Every movement also needs a Level 3 slot through the Hellenic coordinator, with scheduled operations taking priority in summer. Handling is mandatory and the handler runs the whole operation. Our Greece airport parking guide covers the mainland options when Athens is tight.
Where no slot can be had, a jet to Athens and a helicopter onward to Santorini is a genuine alternative, and for Mykonos to Santorini the helicopter is the usual answer.
Correction
The runway is 7,208 feet
Our previous Santorini guide published the runway as 6,972 feet. The correct figure is 7,208 feet, 2,197 metres, by 148 feet, at 127 feet elevation. Corrected here and in our underlying data.
At that length the field takes the whole of business aviation up to large cabin types, which is a genuine advantage over Mykonos at 6,244 feet. Fire cover is ICAO Category 7.
History
A shared field since 1972
Santorini airport opened in 1972 and has always been shared with the Hellenic Air Force. It grew from a domestic field into an international airport receiving direct European summer flights.
A new terminal opened in 2021 under the Fraport Greece concession, which took over the operation of 14 regional Greek airports in 2017. The slot and ground time regime predates it and has, if anything, tightened since.
Nearby
Santorini and the Greek fields
Greece is an Athens operation with islands attached. Santorini and Mykonos share the tightest regime.
LGAVAthens InternationalLGMKMykonosLGSKSkiathosLGZAZakynthosLGKLKalamata
LGPAParos NationalLGSOSyrosLGSYSkyrosLGMGMegaraLGELElefsis Air BaseLGTTTatoi
Athens is where the aircraft parks. Mykonos carries the same 40 minute rule and is the usual pairing, by helicopter between the two. Paros and Syros are the smaller Cyclades fields. Skiathos, Zakynthos and Kalamata serve other regions.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Santorini, answered
Can private jets land at Santorini?
Yes, with a slot and prior permission, and for no longer than 40 minutes on the ground between 0500Z and 1800Z in season. Santorini is IATA Level 3 coordinated, handling is mandatory, and like Mykonos it offers no parking for visiting aircraft through the summer. The runway is 7,208 feet, longer than Mykonos, so the aircraft question is easier; the slot question is not.
What is the 40 minute rule at Santorini?
Prior permission is approved for a maximum stay of 40 minutes between 0500Z and 1800Z, which covers the whole working day. The aircraft lands, disembarks and departs to park on the mainland, usually Athens. Outside those hours the constraint eases slightly, but the working assumption for any daytime arrival is a drop and go.
How long is the runway at Santorini?
15/33 is 2,197 metres, about 7,208 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 127 feet elevation. Our previous guide published 6,972 feet, which was wrong, and it has been corrected here and in our data. The runway suits the whole of business aviation up to large cabin types.
Does Santorini need a slot?
Yes, Santorini is coordinated at IATA Level 3 through the Hellenic slot coordinator and every movement needs an allocated slot in addition to the PPR. Scheduled operations take priority and summer availability is limited.
Is ground handling mandatory at Santorini?
Yes, and as at Mykonos the handler runs the whole operation: slot, PPR, the 40 minute turnaround and the coordination of the aircraft's parking on the mainland.
Where does the aircraft park?
Athens, in most cases, about 40 minutes flying time away, or another mainland field when Athens is tight. The positioning legs and the return for pickup are part of the cost and the crew duty from the outset.
Santorini or Mykonos?
They are destinations, not alternatives to each other. Both carry the same regime: Level 3 slots, PPR, 40 minutes on the ground, no parking. Santorini has the longer runway, which helps with larger aircraft. Many itineraries do both, with the aircraft based in Athens throughout.
Is there a helicopter option for Santorini?
Yes. A jet to Athens and a helicopter onward is a genuine alternative when no slot can be had, and for a Mykonos to Santorini transfer a helicopter is the usual answer. We operate both routes.
Do you need a permit to fly a private jet into Greece?
No separate landing permit for EU and most third-country private and charter operations, but the slot and PPR at Santorini are hard requirements and handling must be in place. We file everything together and hold Athens as the fallback.
What is the history of Santorini airport?
The airport opened in 1972 and is shared with the Hellenic Air Force. It grew from a domestic field into an international airport receiving direct European summer flights, and a new terminal opened in 2021 under the Fraport Greece concession that took over 14 regional airports in 2017.
What time zone is Greece in?
Eastern European Time, EET in winter and EEST in summer, which is UTC+2 and UTC+3 respectively.
Get Your Number
Request a Santorini charter
Send the dates early. We lodge the slot and PPR together, plan the Athens reposition and parking from the start, and price the helicopter alternative alongside so nothing depends on a single slot coming through.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.