Air traffic with Cyprus came under serious pressure after the start of military operations by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Against the backdrop of a sharp escalation of the situation in the Middle East, numerous cancellations and changes in routes are being recorded at the island’s international airports.
Airport operator Hermes Airports said at least 250 passengers have been affected so far. We are talking about flights operated through the two main air hubs of the countries - Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport.
All flights between Larnaca and Israel have been completely cancelled. Air Haifa flights have been suspended in Paphos, and routes to Amman operated by Ryanair have also been cancelled. A Wizz Air morning flight departing Larnaca for Tel Aviv at 07:35 was forced to turn around mid-air and return back to Cyprus.
Later in Larnaca, the arrival of the Wizz Air flight from Tel Aviv scheduled for 13:20, the departure to Abu Dhabi at 14:25, as well as the evening flight to Tel Aviv operated by Sun D'Or were canceled. The next day, Tus Airways flights between Cyprus and Israel were also cancelled.
Air Haifa flights from Haifa and the return flight to Israel scheduled for the afternoon have been canceled at Paphos Airport. In addition, two Wizz Air aircraft were diverted to Larnaca. One of them operated the Budapest-Amman route, the second followed from Sofia to Tel Aviv. Passengers on both flights have disembarked and are awaiting further information on their return to Budapest and Sofia.
Due to the ongoing volatile situation in the region, passengers are strongly advised to contact their airline or travel agent in advance before traveling to the airport. Airlines continue to adjust schedules depending on the evolving situation, so changes are possible at any time.
Experts note that Cyprus, as an important transit and tourism center in the Eastern Mediterranean, is particularly sensitive to geopolitical tensions in the region. The flight situation may remain unstable in the coming days.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
