Larnaca International Airport Explained

Larnaca International Airport
Nativename:	Greek, Modern (1453-);: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Λάρνακας Turkish: Larnaka Uluslararası Havalimanı
Iata:	LCA
Icao:	LCLK
Image2-Width:	250
Owner-Oper:	Hermes Airports Ltd.
City-Served:	Larnaca Limassol Nicosia Ayia Napa
Location:	Larnaca
Hub:	Cyprus Airways Aegean Airlines Tus Airways
Focus City:	Wizz Air
Elevation-F:	11
Elevation-M:	3.35
Metric-Elev:	Y
Coordinates:	34.8789°N 33.6303°W
Pushpin Map:	Cyprus#Europe
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location within Cyprus
Pushpin Label:	LCA
R1-Number:	04/22
R1-Length-F:	9,823
R1-Length-M:	3,000
R1-Surface:	Asphalt
Metric-Rwy:	Y
Stat1-Header:	Passengers (2023)
Stat1-Data:	8,073,932
Footnotes:	Sources: Hermes Airports,^[1] Cypriot AIP at EUROCONTROL^[2]
Stat2-Header:	Aircraft movements (2023)
Stat2-Data:	52,065
Stat3-Header:	Cargo tonnage (2023)
Stat3-Data:	24,953

Larnaca International Airport – Glafcos Clerides is an international airport located 4km (02miles) southwest of Larnaca, Cyprus. Larnaca International Airport is Cyprus' main international gateway and the larger of the two commercial airports in the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, the other being Paphos International Airport on the island's southwestern coast. The airport was given its current name in July 2016, in honour of former President of Cyprus (1993 – 2003) Glafcos Clerides.^[3]

History

Larnaca Airport was hastily developed towards the end of 1974 after the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey on 20 July of the same year,^[4] which forced the closure of the Nicosia International Airport. The site on which it was built (near the Larnaca Salt Lake) had been previously used as an airfield^[5] in the 1930s and, subsequently, as a military installation by British forces. Larnaca International opened on 8 February 1975, with only limited infrastructure facilities and a prefabricated set of buildings comprising separate halls for departures and arrivals. The first airlines to use the new airport were Cyprus Airways, using Viscount 800s leased from British Midland, and Olympic Airways, using NAMC YS-11s. Initially, the runway at Larnaca International was too short for jet aircraft.^[6]

Operations

The status of Cyprus as a major tourist destination means that air traffic has steadily risen to over 5 million passengers a year.^[7] This is double the capacity the airport was first designed for. For this reason, a tender was put out in 1998 to develop the airport further and increase its capacity (see below). Already completed elements of the expansion include a new control tower, fire station, runway extension, and additional administrative offices. The surrounding road network was improved by upgrading the B4 road; a new junction has been constructed near the new terminal. The new terminal was built some 500m-700mm (1,600feet-2,300feetm) west of the old terminal, adjacent to the new control tower, with new aprons and jetways. The old terminal building is slated to be partially demolished and refurbished as a cargo centre, and is currently used as a private terminal for visiting heads of state, other VIPs, and private aircraft operators.^[6]

The airport's geographic location in-between Europe, Africa, Russia and the Middle East facilitates it as an airline hub for traffic and flight operations between these locations.^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} It currently holds domestic, regional and international passenger and cargo services by over 50 airlines.^[12] Notably, Gulf Air used to provide a non-stop service to New York-JFK twice a week.^[13]

Romanian low-cost carrier Blue Air announced the closure of their Larnaca base in September 2020.^[14]

Facilities

The airport has one primary state-of-the-art passenger terminal. Departures are accommodated on the upper level, while arrivals are accommodated at the ground level. The old terminal was renovated and is privately operated by Skylink Services Ltd who manage and operate a “VIP terminal", which is used for executive aircraft and for visiting heads of state, and other non commercial aircraft. The airport utilises a single large apron for all passenger aircraft. The concept architectural design of the passenger terminal was developed by French architects at Aéroports de Paris (ADP) with Sofréavia in France.^[15]

A €650 million upgrade of the Larnaca and Paphos airports was completed in 2006.^[16] The international tender was won by Hermes Airports, a French-led group. The consortium is made up of Bouygues Batiment International (22%) Egis Projects (20%), the Cyprus Trading Corporation (a local retail group-10%), Iacovou Brothers (a local contractor-10%), Hellenic Mining (10%), Vancouver Airport Services (10%), Ireland's Dublin Airport Authority (Aer Rianta International) (10%), Charilaos Apostolides (a local construction company-5%) and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (3%). Hermes Airports built new passenger terminals and plans to extend the runways at both airports under a 25-year concession.^[17]

A new terminal building opened on 7 November 2009.^[18] It has 16 jetways (boarding bridges), 67 check-in counters, 8 self check-in kiosks, 48 departure gates, and 2,450 parking spots. The new terminal can handle 7.5 million passengers per year. Infrastructure also features a large engineering hangar, a cargo terminal, and separate facilities for fuelling and provisioning light aircraft. There is a second, smaller apron where cargo aircraft and private aircraft are often parked. There are also spaces for smaller aircraft for flying schools and privately owned aircraft separate from the main two aprons.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Larnaca:^[19]

Cargo

Statistics

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Number of passengers	Percentage change
2006	4,927,986	-
2007	5,284,159	7.2%
2008	5,488,319	3.8%
2009	5,169,224	5.8%
2010	5,367,724	3.8%
2011	5,507,552	2.6%
2012	5,166,224	6.1%
2013	4,863,577	5.8%
2014	5,247,291	7.8%
2015	5,330,914	1.5%
2016	6,637,692	24.5%
2017	7,734,290	16.5%
2018	8,067,037	4.3%
2019	8,229,346	2.0%
2020	1,679,816	79.6%
2021	3,592,011	113.4%
2022	6,037,053	68%
2023	8,073,932	33.7%

Access

The airport can be reached by car, taxi and public transport system. There is a shuttle bus system from/to Limassol,^[20] Nicosia, Protaras, Paralimni and Ayia Napa.^[21] Local buses are available at the airport to various locations in Larnaca.

Security incidents and accidents

• On 13 October 1977, Lufthansa Flight 181, flying from Palma de Mallorca to Frankfurt, with 91 passengers and crew was hijacked by four Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) members, and was diverted and landed in turn at the airports in Rome, Larnaca, Bahrain, and Dubai.^[22] The Boeing 737 was then forced to fly on to Mogadishu Airport, Somalia, where a West German antiterrorist squad stormed the plane, killing three hijackers, arresting one and rescuing all passengers. The captain of the flight had previously been murdered by the lead terrorist.
• On 19 February 1978, Egyptian commandos exchanged gunfire with Cypriot special forces on the tarmac at Larnaca. Seventeen Egyptian commandos were killed. (see: Egyptian raid on Larnaca International Airport)
• On 5 April 1988, Kuwait Airways Flight 422, a Kuwait Airways Boeing 747, was hijacked, while en route from Thailand to Kuwait. After forcing the plane to fly to Iran, the hijackers forced the crew to fly the plane further west to Algeria, but the plane landed in Larnaca for refuelling. Two Kuwaiti hostages were murdered by the hijackers and their bodies were thrown out on the airport's runway. The Cypriot authorities managed to release 12 hostages; in exchange, they agreed to resupply the plane with jet fuel. The hijacking ended in Algeria on 20 April 1988.^[23]
• On 29 March 2016, EgyptAir Flight 181, operated by Airbus A320-232 SU-GCB, was hijacked whilst on a flight from Borg El Arab Airport to Cairo International Airport. The aircraft landed at Larnaca.^[24] The hijacker claimed to be wearing an explosive belt, but it was later revealed to be fake.^[25]
• In order to test the preparedness and observance of the members of the private company Hermes Airports^[26] in charge of control duties, a secret exercise was conducted at Larnaca International Airport^{[27] [28] [29] [30]} on 9 March 2023, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., by two police officers posing as civilian passengers who successfully passed through the security check with a dummy explosive device and prohibited dangerous materials, such as knives, without being detected.^[31] The exercise took place after the police passport control for exit from the country, where private company officers carry out a physical check as a complementary check.^[32] The operation was ordered by the police director of airport security without informing the civil aviation authority or the airport operator.^[33]

See also

• List of the busiest airports in the Middle East

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Passenger Traffic. hermesairports.com. 16 January 2023. 7 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190207072340/https://www.hermesairports.com/corporate/doing-business-with-us/passenger-traffic. live.
2. Web site: EAD Basic . Ead.eurocontrol.int . 16 April 2011 . 28 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190528184502/http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/publicuser/protect/pu/main.jsp . live .
3. Web site: Larnaca Airport becomes Glafcos Clerides Airport - News. SigmaLive. www.sigmalive.com. 16 December 2018. 16 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181216210807/http://www.sigmalive.com/en/news/local/146488/larnaca-airport-becomes-glafcos-clerides-airport. live.
4. Web site: Larnaca Airport. larnacaairport.co. 15 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161028054718/http://www.larnacaairport.co/. 28 October 2016. dead.
5. Web site: Efremov . Alexey . 2020-08-28 . Airports in Cyprus . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220808160331/https://dom.com.cy/en/live/blog/cyprus-where-the-plane-can-land-here-edited-insert-illustrations/ . 8 August 2022 . 8 August 2022 . Dom Live.
6. Web site: Antoniou . Anthony . The old Larnaca Airport . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230129034356/https://cyprus.trellows.com/the-old-larnaca-airport/ . 2023-01-29 . 2023-01-28 . Trellows. 22 October 2021 .
7. Web site: Handy Larnaca airport information from Skyscanner.. Skyscanner.co.in. 15 November 2017. 15 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115222008/https://www.skyscanner.co.in/airports/lca/larnaca-airport.html. live.
8. Web site: Larnaca Airport, Cyprus (LCA) - Guide & Flights. Europe-airports.com. 15 November 2017. 16 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171116084315/https://www.europe-airports.com/cyprus/show-airport.php?code=LCA. live.
9. Web site: Regional airlines eye new Cyprus airport at Larnaca as a new hub . Financial Mirror . 30 October 2009.
10. Web site: New airlines and flights to Larnaca Airport - Cyprus Profile. Cyprusprofile.com. 15 November 2017. 15 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115225601/http://www.cyprusprofile.com/en/articles/view/new-airlines-and-flights-to-larnaca-airport. live.
11. Web site: Larnaca International - Cyprus. World-airport-codes.com. 15 November 2017. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807134111/https://www.world-airport-codes.com/cyprus/larnaca-international-3987.html. live.
12. Web site: Search – airlines . Hermes Airports . 2023-01-30 . en-us.
13. News: TRAVEL ADVISORY; Gulf Air and Korean Air Begin New U.S. Routes . 11 December 1994 . The New York Times . 2015-01-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150105210304/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/11/travel/travel-advisory-gulf-air-and-korean-air-begin-new-us-routes.html . live . 2015-01-05.
14. Web site: Bobon. Gabriel. 2020-09-03. Oficial: Blue Air închide în 15 septembrie 2020 baza din Larnaca. 2023-01-15. BoardingPass.ro. ro-RO.
15. News: Larnaca International Airport (LCA/LCLK) . 2023-03-11 . Airport Technology . en-US.
16. Web site: Foundation stone laid at new Larnaca Airport . 28 December 2006 . 26 June 2006 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20061017142958/http://www.financialmirror.com/more_news.php?id=4135&type=news . 17 October 2006 . dead.
17. Web site: Hermes said in violation of concession if airports not expanded | Cyprus Mail . 27 July 2021 . 26 June 2022 . 26 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220626122913/https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/07/27/hermes-said-in-violation-of-concession-if-airports-not-expanded/ . live .
18. Web site: Official Website for Larnaka & Pafos International Airports . Cyprusairports.com.cy . 16 April 2011 . 26 May 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140526045128/http://www.cyprusairports.com.cy/showpage.php?PageID=3 . live .
19. Web site: Flight schedule. hermesairports.com. 27 March 2019. 27 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327212627/https://www.hermesairports.com/flight-info/larnaka/flight-schedule. live.
20. Web site: AirportShuttleBus.eu . AirportShuttleBus.eu . 16 April 2011 . 1 May 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160501083337/http://www5.airportshuttlebus.eu/ . live .
21. Web site: Kapnos airport shuttle extends service to Ayia Napa - Cyprus Mail. 27 June 2018. 27 June 2018. 27 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180627144730/https://cyprus-mail.com/2018/06/27/kapnos-airport-shuttle-extends-service-to-ayia-napa/. live.
22. News: Terror and Triumph at Mogadishu . 31 October 1977 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080209031733/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945802,00.html . dead . 9 February 2008 . Time Magazine . 12 February 2007.
23. News: 25 April 1988. John Greenwald. Terrorism Nightmare on Flight 422 . Time Magazine. 2023-01-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930190154/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967244-1,00.html . 30 September 2007 .
24. Web site: SU-GCB description . Aviation Safety Network . 30 March 2016 . 29 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160329074802/https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160329-0 . live .
25. Web site: EgyptAir hijack: Suicide belt worn by the hijacker was fake Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis. dna. 29 March 2016. en-US. 29 March 2016. 29 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160329105724/http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-egyptair-hijack-suicide-belt-worn-by-the-hijacker-was-fake-2195582. live.
26. Web site: Hermes Airports. hermesairports.com.
27. Web site: Larnaca airport security gaps. live. 3 April 2023. Kathimerini. https://web.archive.org/web/20230403114043/https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1207994/larnaca-airport-security-gaps/. 3 April 2023.
28. Web site: Police officers posing passengers – They passed dummy bomb and knives through Larnaca International Airport (video). live. 31 March 2023. ant1live.com. el. https://web.archive.org/web/20230331125403/https://www.ant1live.com/koinonia/543216_astynomikoi-paristanan-toys-epibates-perasan-bomba-kai-mahairia-apo-aerodromio. 31 March 2023.
29. Web site: Government of Cyprus Representative Konstantinos Letymbiotis (video). live. 31 March 2023. ant1live.com. el. Vimeo. https://web.archive.org/web/20230403141542/https://vimeo.com/813506567?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=170721142/. 3 April 2023.
30. Web site: Police officers posing passengers at Larnaca International Airport (video). live. 31 March 2023. ant1live.com. el. Vimeo. https://web.archive.org/web/20230403140545/https://vimeo.com/813479497?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=170721142 . 3 April 2023.
31. Web site: 1 April 2023 . Airport security director targeted - How the transfer of dummy explosives has been achieved . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230401190433/https://politis.com.cy/politis-news/cyprus/614319/evalan-sto-stochastro-ton-diefthynti-asfaleias-aerodromion-pos-echei-epitefchthei-i-metafora-omoiomatos-ekriktikon . 1 April 2023 . . el.
32. Web site: 31 March 2023 . Larnaca airport security exercise exposes gaps, as dummy bomb passed undetected . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230331111338/https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/larnaca-airport-security-exercise-exposes-gaps-as-dummy-bomb-passed-undetected . 31 March 2023 . Knews Kathimerini.
33. Web site: Jonathan Shkurko . 3 April 2023 . Report into how 'explosives' passed airport security with police chiefs . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230403114957/https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/04/03/report-into-how-explosives-passed-airport-security-with-police-chiefs/ . 3 April 2023 . Cyprus Mail.