Terminal T1 hosts 8 airlines. You'll find 9 dining options, 9 shops here.
Three July departures at once and T1 feels full
Zakynthos International’s single passenger terminal, T1, runs almost entirely on seasonal holiday traffic, so crowds spike hard around midday when banks of UK and European charters leave within a 60–90 minute window. Airlines like easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair, TUI Airways, British Airways, Austrian, Eurowings and Wizz Air all share the same compact building, which reviewers describe as “way too small” once summer schedules kick in. In July–August, locals and regulars now target 2.5–3 hours pre‑departure even for short‑haul flights, purely to get through check‑in and security without stress.
Check‑in sits immediately inside the main doors of T1, and in peak season queues can snake back toward the entrance and even outside the building when multiple charters to the UK and Germany open at the same time. Several eSky reviews mention waiting close to an hour to clear both check‑in and security in August, with people literally standing in the sun outside. Build the buffer: for a 13:00 Ryanair or Jet2.com flight, be at the airport around 10:00 so long lines and slow counters do not put you into last‑call territory.
Arrivals are on the ground level with a single immigration zone and one baggage area, so the whole stream of a full 189‑seat Ryanair 737 and a 230‑seat TUI Airways 767 can end up in the same compact hall. One TripAdvisor review talks about spending “over an hour just to get out of the tiny terminal,” with people “packed in like sardines” at passport control. After that, bags can still take 30–40 minutes to show, which several passengers say turned arrivals into a 90‑minute grind in high season.
Post‑security departures at ZTH condense into what a YouTube walk‑through calls “basically one long room,” with the gates, shops and food arranged along a single corridor‑like hall. At a normal pace it takes about 5–10 minutes to walk from security to the furthest visible gate, including the extra‑EU end that handles some UK and non‑Schengen flights. That layout means gate changes between, say, a TUI Airways boarding area and a Ryanair stand are rarely a big hike, but floor space clogs quickly when three A320‑sized departures go off together.
Food and drink airside lean heavily on quick service: Street Food Republic, Gregory’s, Panopolis, Pret A Manger, Refill Coffee & Bakery, The Barrels GastroPub, Upper Crust, Mi Cafetal and Hellinico all sit in that same linear hall. Expect basic sandwiches, pastries and coffee to sit around standard European airport pricing, with reviewers complaining about high markups on simple snacks. Lines at Pret A Manger and Gregory’s can stack 10–15 people deep in the hour before an easyJet or Jet2.com departure, so regulars often bring food from town and just grab bottled water or a coffee top‑up inside.
For shopping, the core option is Hellenic Duty Free Shops, positioned shortly after security with the usual liquor, perfume and Greek products like olive oil and packaged sweets; one review notes a 0.7L spirits bottle running around €18–€22 in 2024. Vodafone has a counter for SIMs and top‑ups, and ZTH Kiosk handles last‑minute drinks, crisps and sunscreen. Many food outlets double as retail touchpoints, with Street Food Republic and Gregory’s selling bottled drinks and packaged snacks that work as plane supplies when the kiosk feels crowded.
Once you clear the central bar and café cluster, a quieter seating pocket opens up toward the non‑Schengen or extra‑EU gates at the far end of the hall, about a 5‑minute walk from security. A 2025 YouTube video shows this back section still having empty seats while rows near the main bar fill completely for three UK flights. Along the windows in that far‑end area there is a bank of wall outlets, and the uploader points out these sockets usually stay free while the plugs by the central café are all occupied with chargers.
There are no catalogued airline or pay‑in lounges at ZTH T1, so every passenger from Austrian, British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2.com or TUI Airways waits in the same shared hall. Multiple reviews highlight limited air conditioning and “unbearably hot” conditions in July–August, especially when departures are stacked and the space around the gates fills with people sitting on the floor. One practical move: clear security early, walk all the way to the far‑end gates within 10 minutes, plug in at the window outlets, and lock down a seat there before the midday wave arrives.