Newsroom
More than 5.2 million passengers passed through the airport in occupied Tymbou between January and November this year, a volume that, according to figures released by its operator, now exceeds traffic at Paphos International Airport.
The data show that the airport handled 5,295,093 passengers in the first 11 months of 2025, counting both arrivals and departures. That represents a 20% increase in passenger traffic and a 23% rise in the number of flights compared with the same period last year.
Media in the occupied territories have highlighted the figures as a milestone, noting that the airport, recognized only by Turkey, has overtaken Paphos, which served about 3.6 million passengers over the same period. Larnaca International Airport, Cyprus’ main gateway, handled around 9.3 million passengers between January and November.
Supportive coverage in the occupied north has described the rise in traffic as an achievement, despite the fact that the airport operates outside international aviation rules and has no direct flights to or from other countries. All flights to Tymbou are routed through Turkey.
The airport operates illegally under international law, as the Republic of Cyprus remains the sole internationally recognized authority over the island’s airspace.
The issue has resurfaced following recent comments by Erhan Arikli, the so-called “minister” responsible for transport under the occupation regime, who claimed that efforts are being made to establish direct flights from Azerbaijan.
His remarks were quickly dismissed by a representative of air traffic controllers, who said Arikli was “making fun” of the public, noting that no aircraft can legally fly to the airport in Tymbou without permission from the Republic of Cyprus, in line with international aviation law.
Arikli remains a deeply controversial figure in Cyprus. From the perspective of the Republic of Cyprus, he is among those identified as responsible for the 1996 killing of Tasos Isaak during anti-occupation protests, a case that continues to resonate nearly three decades later.
Despite the record passenger figures being promoted in the occupied territories, any attempt to introduce direct international flights to Tymbou would face a hard legal ceiling, one set not by passenger demand but by international law.
