In October 2022, Greek aviation brokerage Zela Aviation formed a cooperation with the municipality of Sitia in Crete with the aim of establishing Sitia airport as an alternative gateway to Crete for private aircraft.

Located on the east side of the island of Crete, the airport began operations in June 1984 and a brand-new terminal building was completed in 2016. The airport is operated by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority and offers competitive charges for business jets. Zela Aviation's airport development team has been working closely with the municipality of Sitia to promote the airport domestically and in Europe for commercial aviation activities.

Summer slots in nearby airports in Crete such as Heraklion and Chania are not so easy to obtain as they are in Sitia. Sitia's airport can help to assist in better slots to support tourist activity for all regions in Crete. Sitia airport also provides opportunities for operators to base their aircraft onsite for a short time period, unlike Chania or Heraklion where parking is a bigger issue. Basing an private aircraft in Sitia for a short time will still offer a prime location for flights around Greece and the wider eastern Mediterranean region.

With the summer season now approaching, Zela Jet is keen to boost incoming private flights to Sitia's airport. Its strong domestic sales presence in the market gives the airport the right tools and foundations to help traffic grow. Zela Jet has access to a wide variety fleet of private aircraft and helicopters to support private flights to Sitia.

Sitia serves as a route to discover Lasithi in addition to serving as a gateway to Crete. Lasithi is found in Greece on the eastern coast of the island of Crete. Numerous little towns, beach resorts and mountain villages are to be discovered there. Elounda and Sissi are two well-known villages that are still popular tourist destinations in the area.

Zela Jet is a brand part of the already well -established brokerage firm Zela Aviation established in 2006. It was created to target the increasing demand for private travel, primarily focusing on the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle Eastern market. Its headquarters are in Cyprus with regional offices in Athens, Greece.