Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Larnaca International Airport – Glafcos Clerides is Cyprus' principal international gateway, sited beside the Larnaca Salt Lake a few kilometres southwest of Larnaca town. It is a major commercial hub linking Europe with the Middle East, offering a single long asphalt runway with full ILS on one approach, making it a straightforward and prominent VFR or IFR destination for simulator pilots exploring the eastern Mediterranean.
Larnaca International Airport is the larger of Cyprus' two commercial airports, the other being Paphos International on the island's southwestern coast, and ranks among the busiest airports in the Middle East. It serves as a hub for Cyprus Airways, Aegean Airlines and Tus Airways, and as a focus city for Wizz Air and Aegean, handling scheduled and cargo services for more than fifty airlines. For a sim pilot the field offers a substantial single-runway international operation set against the backdrop of the Larnaca Salt Lake and the Mediterranean coastline.
The airport lies close to Larnaca Salt Lake, a few kilometres southwest of Larnaca town, on the southeastern coast of Cyprus. It sits within the airspace controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, with Paphos International Airport the other major commercial field on the island, located further southwest along the coast.
Larnaca has a single physical runway, 04/22, of asphalt construction and lit for night operations. Database figures give a length of 9,984 ft for the 04 direction and 9,217 ft for the 22 direction; the runway 22 approach is equipped with an ILS. Field elevation is 7 ft.
Approach can be contacted on 121.2 MHz, the ATIS broadcasts on 126.55 MHz, and Tower operates on 119.4 MHz. The airport is served by an ILS on runway 22.
The Larnaca Salt Lake, immediately adjacent to the airport, is a prominent and unmistakable visual feature for pilots approaching from the coast or overland.
The site had been used as an airfield in the 1930s and later as a British military installation before being hastily redeveloped as Cyprus' main airport following the Turkish invasion of the island on 20 July 1974, which forced the closure of Nicosia International Airport. Larnaca International opened on 8 February 1975 with only limited, prefabricated facilities, the first services being operated by Cyprus Airways using leased Viscount 800s and by Olympic Airways using NAMC YS-11s; the runway was initially too short for jet aircraft. Subsequent decades saw substantial expansion, including a new control tower, fire station, runway extension and administrative offices, culminating in a new terminal opening on 7 November 2009 some 500 to 700 metres west of the original building. The airport was renamed in July 2016 in honour of former Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides.
Larnaca operates as a large, modern international airport with a single passenger terminal featuring sixteen jetways and forty-eight gates, alongside a separate apron for cargo, aircraft storage and VIP operations. The original 1975 terminal has been retained as a privately operated VIP facility for executive aircraft and visiting heads of state. The airport also has a large engineering hangar and cargo terminal supporting its role as a major commercial and cargo hub for the island.