Cyprus Airports [Everything You Need to Know]

Published Categorized as Cyprus
Airports in Cyprus detailed guide

This post was most recently updated on January 6th, 2023

Cyprus has a total of 9 airports, out of which 3 are available for the Public, 5 are available for the Military, and 1 is available for both public and military purposes. Larnaca airport and Paphos airport are the only two international airports in Cyprus available for international travel.

Today in this article, we are going to learn about the airports in Cyprus in detail. Keep reading till the end.

Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport are operated and managed by Hermes Airports Ltd.
Hermes Airports undertook the operation in May 2006, under a 25-year BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) concession agreement with the Republic of Cyprus.

Larnaca International Airport

Larnaca international airport

Larnaca Airport is an international airport located 4 km southwest of Larnaca, Cyprus. (IATA code – LCA) is the main airport of Cyprus, receiving the majority of international traffic.

Larnaca International Airport Map Location

Larnaca airport is also known as Glafcos Clerides, which was named in honor of the former President of Cyprus (1993 – 2003) Glafcos Clerides. You can reach the airport by car, taxi or public transportation. There is also an airport shuttle bus for you to carry to various places in Cyprus from/to Larnaca International Airport.

Larnaca International Airport was opened on 8 February 1975, with only limited infrastructure facilities and a prefabricated set of buildings comprising separate halls for departures and arrivals as it was hastily developed towards the end of 1974 after the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey.

The airport has one primary state-of-the-art passenger terminal. Departures are accommodated on the upper level, while arrivals are at the ground level. The old terminal serves as a “VIP terminal”, which is used for visiting heads of state, some private aviation, and for cargo.

Check in area Larnaca International Airport

Larnaca International Airport has around 50 airlines that operate regular, scheduled, and charter flights to and from Larnaca. LIA has accommodated 3,592,011 people in 2021. You can look at the statistics table below to see the number of people who traveled in the last 15 years.

Larnaca international airport Statistics

Here are some of the facilities you can get at Larnaca International Airport:

  • Medical centers
  • Public Transportation
  • Car rentals
  • Restaurants & Cafes
  • Animal Transportation
  • Duty-free stores
  • Airlines
  • Porter Services
  • Currency exchange
  • VIP hall
  • Banks
  • Tax-free terminal
  • High-speed Wi-Fi
  • Souvenir shops
  • Luggage wrapping & storage
  • Express lane & spa

Here are the contact details for Larnaca International Airport.

Paphos International Airport

Paphos International Airport

Paphos International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located 6.5 km (4.0 mi) southeast of the city of Paphos, Cyprus. It is the country’s second-largest airport, after Larnaca International Airport.

Paphos International Airport Map Location

Hermes Airports Limited took over the construction, development, and operation of Paphos International Airport for a period of 25 years in May 2006.

Paphos Airport (IATA code – PFO) annually receives most of the summer charter flights to southern Cyprus. It is commonly used by tourists for vacation.

Travelers have many transportation options for getting to Paphos Airport or traveling directly from the airport to any city in Cyprus. There is a regular bus service from Paphos Harbour station to the airport, limited services also run to/from Paphos Town (Karavella) and Polis. Direct buses to/from Limassol, Nicosia, and Larnaca are also available.

Here are some of the facilities you can get at Paphos International Airport:

  • Currency exchange
  • Restaurants
  • Banks
  • Baby-Parent Rooms
  • Luggage wrapping & storage
  • Car rentals
  • Duty-free stores
  • Disabled access facilities
  • Refrigerated storage for cargo
  • Cafeterias
  • Bars
  • Gift shops

Along with these, passenger facilities include 28 check-in desks, 1 special baggage check-in, 7 gates, and 22 aircraft stands.

Paphos International Airport has around 17 airlines that operate regular, scheduled, and charter flights to and from Larnaca. PIA has accommodated 632,990 people in 2020. You can look at the statistics table below to see the number of people who traveled in the last 15 years from Paphos International Airport.

Paphos international airport Statistics

Here are the contact details for Paphos International Airport.

Email: info@hermesairports.com | customerservices@hermesairport.com

Nicosia International Airport

Nicosia International Airport

Nicosia International Airport is an airport located 8.2 km (5.1 mi) west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia in the Lakatamia suburb. It is unused as of now. It was originally the main airport for the island, but commercial activity ceased following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, then the Larnaca Airport become the largest international airport.

Nicosia International Airport Map Location

This airport was initially constructed in 1930, and it acted principally as a military airport and is still owned by the British Ministry of Defence.

The airport site is now mainly used as the headquarters of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. There have been some plans for Nicosia Airport to be reopened under United Nations (UN) control as a goodwill measure, but so far neither the Greek Cypriots nor the Turkish Cypriots have seriously pursued the option.

The last commercial airline flights out of Nicosia Airport took place in 1977 under UN Special Authorisation. Following the Turkish invasion, the airport was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting between Cypriot and Turkish forces.

In 2013, Michael Paraskos of the Cornaro Institute in Cyprus argued that the old Nicosia Airport would no longer be needed in the event of a political settlement on the island, due to there being three other functioning airports in Cyprus. It was suggested it should be turned into a tax-free industrial zone, designed to attract foreign high-tech firms, and employ Cypriots from both the Greek and Turkish communities on the island.

Can you visit the Nicosia International Airport?

Yes, you can visit the Nicosia International Airport, but you need to take permission from the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. Without their permission, no one can visit the airport.

Ercan International Airport

Ercan International Airport

Ercan International Airport is located in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is located about 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) east of Nicosia, near the village of Tymbou.

Ercan International Airport Map Location

It was constructed by the British in World War II as a military airport, during their colonial rule of the island. Following the Turkish Cyprus and the partition of the island it was, and today it is used as the main civilian airport of Northern Cyprus.

Ercan Airport currently has a 2.75-kilometer-long runway and an apron with a capacity of seven aircraft. Although the runway is long enough for large planes to land, it is not long enough for take-offs.

Flights to the airport are banned internationally due to the ongoing Cyprus dispute. People with Republic of Cyprus passports prefer to travel from Larnaca International Airport whereas Turkish citizens can’t do that. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus considers the use of Ercan Airport to exit or enter the island illegal.

You can look at the statistics table below to see the number of people who traveled in the last 20 years from Ercan International Airport.

Ercan international airport Statistics

Ercan Airport is served by four carriers with booked and contracted flights to Ercan. Aircrafts that work normally booked flights to Ercan are Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, AtlasGlobal, and Anadolujet Airlines.

Here are some of the facilities you can get at Ercan International Airport:

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Car Hire
  • Taxi Transfers
  • Pick-up and Drop-off
  • Restaurants and Cafes
  • Shops
  • Lounges
  • Currency Exchange
  • Health Service
  • Fast Track
  • Security at Airport
  • Parking

Lakatamia Air Base

Lakatamia Air Base Map Location

Lakatamia Air Base is located in Lakatamia, Cyprus. It was built by the British and was handed over to Cyprus upon independence.

Under Cyprus control, the airfield was more or less abandoned, as the Cypriot armed forces operated from Nicosia. The invasion of Cyprus by Turkey changed that. Because the Cyprus defense forces could no longer use Nicosia they reactivated Lakatamia.

It mainly served as a helicopter airfield but was still capable of receiving (small) fixed-wing aircraft until the spring of 2013. Then at some point after April 2013, the remaining runway was almost completely dug up and removed.

Geçitkale Air Base

Geçitkale Air Base

Geçitkale Air Base is also known as Lefkoniko Airport. It is located in Lefkoniko in Northern Cyprus. It is a military airfield of the Turkish Air Force.

Geçitkale Air Base Map Location

The construction of Geçitkale Air Base was completed around 1990. The unofficial ICAO code of Geçitkale Air Base is LCGK.

Geçitkale Air Base was assigned by a decision of the government of Northern Cyprus to the Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Command for use by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations.

Geçitkale’s only runway, 9/27, measures 2,850 m (9,350 ft) in length and 45 m (148 ft) wide. In addition, there is a 285 m (935 ft) long stop way on either end. The airport is equipped with a VOR/DME and an NDB station.

İlker Karter Air Base

İlker Karter Air Base

İlker Karter Air Base is located in Kyrenia in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is a military-based airfield.

İlker Karter Air Base Map Location

The airfield serves as the Headquarters of the Turkish Army (XI Corps, two divisions) in Cyprus.

It bears the name of Air Pilot First Lieutenant İlker Karter, who was martyred on July 20, 1974, when he was on duty at the 8th Main Jet Base Command of the Turkish Air Force, while performing a duty flight in the Cyprus Operation.

RAF Akrotiri

RAF Akrotiri

RAF Akrotiri is a large Royal Air Force located in Akrotiri in the Western Sovereign Base Area. RAF Akrotiri was first constructed in 1955. RAF Akrotiri is being controlled by the British Forces Cyprus.

RAF Akrotiri Map Location

The ICAO Airport Code of RAF Akrotiri is LCRA.

RAF Akrotiri is home to the Cyprus Operations Support Unit which provides joint support to British Forces Cyprus and operations in the region to protect the UK’s strategic interests.

RAF Akrotiri is an extremely busy Permanent Joint Operating Base that supports ongoing operations in the region as well as support for the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus. It is used as a forward mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East and for fast jet training.

RAF Akrotiri’s Griffin helicopters also play an important search and rescue function in collaboration with the Republic of Cyprus Police and National Guard Air Command.

Official Website: www.raf.mod.uk

Kingsfield Air Base

Kingsfield Air Base Map Location

Kingfield Air Base is located in Dhekelia in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

The ICAO Airport Code of Kingsfield Air Base is LCRE. The Sovereign Base Area is about 22 kilometers east of Larnaca. It was built for the Army Air Corps, possibly around 1960.

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