Chios, the fifth-largest Greek island, is about to lose its only air link for the whole winter. Its national airport — known as Omiros — will close from 15 November 2026 until 15 March 2027 so the runway can be extended and upgraded, according to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority.
The project will lengthen the runway to 1,799m, big enough for larger aircraft than currently serve the island. Officials say the works will secure reliable air connections for the 2027 tourist season and help the airport cope better with rough Aegean winter weather.
Right now, the airport handles mostly domestic routes to Athens and Thessaloniki on Aegean Airlines, SKY express and Olympic Air. During the closure, only emergency operations — medical evacuations, search and rescue, firefighting, humanitarian and state flights — will be possible, and those by helicopter using the parking apron rather than the runway.
Not everyone is happy. Local authorities have branded the closure "economic strangulation", and the island's chamber of commerce president, Pantelis Legatos, warned it will hit the economy hard over Christmas and New Year, when residents travel for family visits and medical appointments. Chios sits just five miles from the Turkish coast, and locals stress the Athens air link is a lifeline for healthcare and everyday connections. There is extra frustration because the government originally planned to close the airport on 15 January — two months later than now scheduled — and says it never consulted the community. The deputy governor, Pantelis Vroulis, has proposed a compromise: keep the airport open over the holidays and finish the works before Easter.
For travellers, the practical effect is straightforward: if you were planning a winter trip to Chios, flying there is off the table between mid-November and mid-March. Your options are the ferry — which runs from Piraeus and nearby Aegean islands, but takes far longer and is weather-dependent — or flying into a neighbouring island such as Lesbos or Samos and continuing by sea. Anyone with Christmas or New Year plans on the island should watch whether the compromise plan goes ahead before writing off the trip entirely.
The flip side is a better airport by spring 2027, with a longer runway that could bring bigger planes, more routes and easier summer access to an island famous for its mastic villages, medieval towns and quiet beaches. If anything, a winter closure makes Chios an even stronger case for a 2027 summer trip — just budget a ferry or a connection through Athens from then on.
