Airports in Cyprus

Every year, hospitable Cyprus welcomes millions of tourists, most of whom arrive on the island by plane. Despite the small size of both the island itself and its main airports, the standard of service at these ‘airports’ is quite high.

There are six airports in Cyprus, two of which are international; they are located in Larnaca and Paphos.

Larnaca Airport

Larnaca Airport is the largest on the island. It covers an area of around 112,000 square metres, which is quite small by the standards of major cities, but well-organised operational processes help to avoid long queues at passport control and check-in desks. Most scheduled flights depart from and arrive here, including direct flights to Cyprus from Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as flights from European countries, the UAE, China and other nations.

During the summer months, charter flights from Russia also arrive at Larnaca Airport. In total, the airport handles around 8 million passengers from around the world each year.

The airport is situated at roughly the same distance from all of Cyprus’s main resort towns and its capital, Nicosia (around 50 km from Ayia Napa, Protaras and Limassol). The exception is Paphos, which is about 100 km away.

You can get from the airport to Cyprus’s resorts by taxi (around 50 euros to the main resorts, 100 euros to Paphos), by hire car, which can be arranged directly at the airport, or by scheduled bus. You can catch a taxi to Limassol straight as you leave the airport; private chauffeur services are not available at Cyprus Airport.

The scheduled bus from the airport to Limassol runs daily from 3 am to midnight. The fare is 8–9 euros, including luggage. To catch the bus at the airport, follow the signs to the dedicated bus area to the left of the airport exit.

In Limassol, you can catch the bus to the airport opposite the Church of Agios Georgios Havouzas or on Iapetou Street in the Agios Athanasios area. A taxi from the bus stops to the centre of the tourist area will cost around 15 euros.

The only drawback in this case is that the scheduled bus does not arrive in the centre of Limassol’s tourist area, but on the outskirts of the city, so if you plan to use this mode of transport, you will need to make your own way to your hotel or holiday apartment. However, this is also the most economical option.

You should arrive at Larnaca Airport two hours before your flight to go through all the standard procedures and enjoy a cup of coffee in a relaxed atmosphere. You can also claim tax-free refunds here for purchases made in Cyprus. Please note that you will need to present your purchases after check-in, so you should not pack them in your hold luggage.

After checking in for your flight and passing through passport control, you can visit the duty-free shop, where you should look out for cosmetics, imported alcoholic drinks and so on.

However, it is better to buy traditional Cypriot souvenirs, local wine and sweets in advance, as the selection at the airport is smaller and prices are higher.

Paphos Airport

The second international airport in the Republic of Cyprus is Paphos Airport, situated approximately 15 km from the resort. This airport is considerably smaller than Larnaca Airport, but the service there is just as good.

Paphos Airport generally handles charter flights to Russia (mainly operated by Transaero) and low-cost carrier flights (such as Ryanair, which operates flights from Cyprus to many European countries).

You can get to the airport by taxi (costing around 20 euros from Paphos). The distance from Limassol to the airport is about 60 km, with a taxi fare of approximately 70 euros, whilst the distance from Ayia Napa and Protaras is about 170 km. There are no direct bus services from other resorts in Cyprus to Paphos Airport.

There are two bus services from Paphos to the airport – route 612, which departs from Paphos Harbour (the bus runs approximately once an hour), and route 613 from Karavella Station near the market (twice a day). The fare is 8 euros. You can also reach Paphos Airport from Limassol by express bus – the fare is 9 euros.

Paphos Airport operates under standard arrival and departure procedures; details of these can be found on the airport’s website. The airport boasts a well-developed infrastructure, including a variety of shops and cafés, car hire companies and cash machines.

 Airports in Northern Cyprus

Currently, the main airport in so-called Northern Cyprus is ‘Ercan’, located north-east of Nicosia. The airport is small and, as a rule, passengers walk from the aircraft to the terminal.

If you are planning a trip to Northern Cyprus, you can only reach Ercan Airport via Turkey: there are no direct scheduled flights to Northern Cyprus. You will arrive in Antalya or Istanbul, and then take a connecting flight to the island.

You must enter Southern Cyprus via Larnaca or Paphos airports only; entering from Northern Cyprus (the occupied territory) is against the law. When travelling to the Turkish side (Northern Cyprus), you can use either Larnaca or Paphos airports, or Ercan Airport.

To avoid any future problems when visiting Greece or the Republic of Cyprus, ask border control to stamp a special form rather than your passport.

On the Turkish side, there is also a now-abandoned airport in Nicosia, which was previously the island’s main international airport.

How many airports are there in Cyprus?

As well as civilian airports, Cyprus also has two military airports, which are located on the grounds of British military bases – in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. These airports are not used by civil aviation and are intended solely for military purposes.

Conclusion

So, when travelling to Southern Cyprus, you will arrive at one of the island’s international airports – Larnaca or Paphos. As a rule, scheduled flights from most countries operate to Larnaca Airport.

Charter flights operated by major tour operators (Biblio-Globus, TUI, Tez Tour, Pegas) fly to both Larnaca and Paphos airports, depending on the resort chosen by tourists. Flights operated by low-cost airlines (such as Ryanair) are served at Paphos Airport.