NICOSIA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Cypriot officials announced on Monday that Israel has halted Israeli commercial flights to Paphos, Cyprus, citing unspecified security reasons.
Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, issued the directive late on Sunday, affecting flights to the airport primarily serving charter traffic on Cyprus's western coast, Israeli media reported.
The suspension is not expected to significantly impact Israeli visitors to the island as air traffic to Paphos is minimal compared to the flow to Larnaca, Cyprus's main airport. Israel is a major tourism market for Cyprus, representing more than 10 percent of arrivals in 2023.
"A Cypriot official informed Reuters about the Israeli companies' scheduling change for flights to and from Paphos airport due to security concerns, which occurred several days ago," the official stated.
Flights from Israel to Larnaca continue uninterrupted, with the official expressing uncertainty about the specific rationale behind the decision.
Another Cypriot official implied the shift was a security adjustment to consolidate Israeli travel through a single airport. "We were made aware that the Israelis have opted for Larnaca airport for their arrivals and departures," said Victor Papadopoulos, head of the Cypriot President's press office, in an interview with local Sigma TV.
Paphos, located about a 90-minute drive from Larnaca airport, is Cyprus's smaller airport, neighboring a military base that is planned for relocation.
As per the available winter flight schedule online, there are around 10 weekly flights from Tel Aviv and 7 from Haifa to Paphos, significantly less than the minimum of 60 weekly flights to Larnaca.