Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
If your summer holiday didn’t quite deliver the thrill of an adventure, Larnaca Airport on Friday, July 11, made sure your return trip did.
A Cypriot passenger stuck in an hours-long snarl of bodies and baggage at the departures terminal snapped a photo of the chaos and sent it to the press, possibly because there was nothing else to do. The image shows a sea of frustrated travelers jammed into immigration and security, with lines reportedly spilling out of the main hall and fast-track lanes offering little relief beyond a slightly shorter wait to be equally exasperated.
“This is ridiculous for a country trying to boost its tourism sector,” the passenger said, capturing what many were likely thinking but too exhausted to voice.
It’s July, after all, the month when Cypriots take their holidays, tourists flood the island, and, apparently, everyone tries to leave at the same time. Whether this was a case of too many flights, not enough planning, or summer simply doing what summer does best, creating airport chaos, is anyone’s guess. But for an island that depends on tourism, it wasn’t exactly the sendoff Cyprus might have hoped for.
Some passengers reported being in line for over two hours, with little communication and even less air circulation. Others said the most coordinated movement in the terminal came from fellow travelers trying to guess which lane might move faster, only to realize none of them did. For families with young children, the stress of travel quickly turned into a test of endurance.
Still, seasoned flyers might say this is par for the course. Summer air travel, after all, has become its own kind of ritual, one that includes overcrowded terminals, misplaced passports, overpriced coffee, and the occasional airport floor nap.
So what can you do? Besides packing snacks and a good sense of humor, travelers are urged to arrive at least three hours before departure, check in online, and breathe deeply, preferably before entering the terminal. Wearing comfortable shoes, bringing a power bank, and lowering expectations may also help.
After all, nothing says “bon voyage” quite like an impromptu group sweat session at gate security, followed by a mad dash to the gate that’s been changed for the third time.
