last edited Dec 11, 2019
Flying to Northern Cyprus
Location Map of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
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General Information
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has only one commercial airport within its territory, which is considered "illegal" by the authorities in the south. This is Ercan Airport, located 34 km from the capital, Nicosia.
Given the political situation in the TRNC, air traffic is quite limited. Additionally, due to a specific international law (still under discussion), all international flights (to/from outside Turkey) must make a mandatory stopover in Turkey and cannot be non-stop. In practice, this stop in Turkish territory, which serves no real purpose, typically lasts half an hour without requiring a change of aircraft.
In the end, only a few European (non-national) airlines offer seasonal routes to/from the UK, Germany, Brussels (Corendon Airlines), and very occasionally Zurich or Paris, with journeys lasting at least 6 hours and round-trip fares starting at 300/400 €. Everything else is limited—and logically so—to neighboring Turkey, with a wide range of flights offered by various Turkish airlines. In many cases, visitors opt for this route via Turkey or simply arrive in the "southern zone" of the island, which is often more economical.
Lefkosa-Ercan International Airport
Built during the last war by the British for military purposes, the airport was abandoned after the British left before being reused after the 1974 invasion by the authorities in the north for commercial purposes.