Larnaca International Airport

LCA originated in late 1974, as it was developed following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July of that year (which had forced the closure of Nicosia International Airport). The site was already considered ideal for aviation, as it was an airfield in the 1930s and a British military installation later. As such, the new airport opened on February 8th, 1975, with limited infrastructure and some prefabricated buildings serving as terminals (with a runway that was initially too short for jets). Cyprus Airways and Olympic Airways provided service. By the late 1990s, CTA was quickly becoming oversaturated, leading to the need to increase capacity. As a result, an expansion plan was implemented, including a runway extension, a new air traffic control tower, a fire station, road improvements, and a new terminal building. The upgrade was completed in 2006, costing 650 million euros. Furthermore, a new 16-jetway terminal building opened on November 7th, 2009. It can serve 7.5 million passengers annually and features a large engineering hangar, a cargo terminal, 2,450 parking spaces, 48 departure gates, spaces for smaller aircraft (such as those belonging to flying schools and privately owned aircraft), and more.

The airport is located 2.5 miles southwest of Larnaca, Cyprus. 

• The airport was renamed in honor of Galafcos Clerides, President of Cyprus, from 1993 to 2003. 
• Much of the airport's traffic can be attributed to its geographic positioning between Europe, Africa, Russia, and the Middle East. 
• French Hermes Airports operate LCA under a 25-year BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) concession. 
• The initial terminal building now serves as a VIP terminal for heads of state, some private aviation, and cargo. 
• The FBOs at LCA are Skylink Services Ltd. and Universal Aviation.