Cyprus hopes the new airport will boost tourism
Larnaca will soon benefit from a new international airport that can handle up to 7.5 million people annually with a provision to extend this to nearly 10 million when the need arises.
Cypriot President Demetris Christofias opened the new Larnaca terminal, built by a consortium of French and Cypriot companies, at a ceremony attended by French European Affairs Minister Pierre Lellouche. He said that this will boost flagging tourism and boost prospects of it becoming a regional transport hub.
Larnaca airport now has double the capacity to handle passenger traffic with The 100,000 square metre high-tech terminal which is four times larger than its predecessor, just a couple of kilometres away on the island’s south coast. The construction took three years at a cost 656 million euros in what is one the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Cyprus. Flight operations from the new airport began, with Cyprus Airways and easyjet flights only and become fully operational from November 17. Officials hope the new airport will also attract foreign investment to Cyprus.
In a bid to attract more tourists and promote Cyprus as a regional service centre, an upgraded airport in Paphos, on the west coast opened last year at a cost of 127 million euros and is able to manage 2.7 million passengers a year.
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