FLIGHTS bound for Tel Aviv are being temporarily diverted to Larnaca airport due to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the airport's operators said yesterday.
"A number of European airlines have been asking permission to use our facilities at Larnaca due to the unrest in the Middle East," said Adamos Aspris, a spokesman for Hermes Airports.
The extra traffic has not impacted the airport's flight schedule, he said.
It's understood flights began being diverted to Larnaca over the past few days, following an escalation of the conflict in Gaza.
Several direct flights from European destinations bound for Tel Aviv have been stopping over at Larnaca before continuing on to Israel.
Reuters reported yesterday that Egypt had brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It would go into effect later in the day.
Cyprus is frequently used as a stopover for European flights during crises in the Middle East. In August, due to safety concerns in the area around Beirut airport, an Air France flight to Lebanon was diverted first to Damascus and then to Larnaca.
SOURCE: CYPRUS MAIL