A brand new Larnaca Airport is well on schedule to be open for business for the target launch date of November.
Communications Minister Nicos Nicolaides visited the new terminal this week to see how construction was getting along and found the airport building to be in good shape. Construction of the site is expected to be completed in June, with several months needed to get everyone up to speed on the new high-tech surroundings. The minister said there were two major challenges for the airport – getting the new terminal fully operational and ensuring the old one is equipped to weather the summer rush.
One of the key issues of concern to the authorities is ensuring that the transition from old to new goes ahead without any major disruptions to the travelling public or staff. “We’ve been assured by the airports operator and the ground handling companies that they would do everything possible to guarantee that this last summer in the old terminal will pass without serious problems,” said Nicolaides.
Early last summer the airport was plunged into chaos for several weeks when a new regime of ground handling services faced teething trouble, causing long delays at check-in and arrivals. Nicolaides had to intervene to resolve the mess caused when ground services went private, he warned that a repeat offence is not acceptable. “We expect the required cooperation and action to have an easy summer in view of the transition to the new passenger terminal.” He said Cyprus was entering a new era of modern air transport which will “radically” change reality on the ground. “We are talking about a new airport with a passenger terminal that can make Cyprus really proud and feel that we are entering a new age in aviation transport...to help reach our target as a regional service centre.”
An ultra-modern Larnaca terminal is being constructed close to the existing building with an improved passenger capacity and provision for 2,650 public parking spaces. An upgraded Paphos airport opened its doors to travellers last November with a new passenger terminal costing €127 m that can handle 2.7 million passengers annually. Hermes Airports was awarded the contract in 2005 to rebuild, expand and operate the country's two airports at a cost of more than €620 m. The work is being financed under the build-operate-transfer scheme that allows private business to run the airports on a 25-year lease from the government. It is financed exclusively by Hermes, with 33 % of gross revenues paid to the state. The government also collects a fixed annual fee of €3.5 m. When complete, both airports are expected to employ a combined 6,000 staff, and the Larnaca terminal will be able to handle nine million passengers a year. The airports’ scheme is one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken on Cyprus and is seen as vital to boosting the key tourism industry.