Cyprus-Forum.com

[eracles]

flew out of paphos on wednesday afternoon - something like 30 check in desks, only 12 being used. Massive queues. Lots of other airport staff standing around idle or letting their mates push in.
Back in bad old days I remember being in such a long disorganised queue that I had to be bought to the front after 2 hours, whisked through security and taken onto the plane with the engines running, just about to take off.
Same happened on Wednesday, except they didn't get everyone in on time so we missed our slot and were delayed 30mins.
The management can't be anything but jokers - the money spent on more check-in staff that day would have paid itself back far more from their 8euro slices of pizza and 6euro small cans of beer (ok i'm making that up, didn't get to see what they were selling), let alone 'duty free'.
Such a shame, they pissed off so many people that day.
From what I could see the airport looked great, what a let down actual operating of it was.
was my experience isolated? i know it was half term and they may had a lot more people through, but then so did the 'management'.

[Oracle]

We waited for over an hour last week to be let through passport control at Luton (never again). The people behind us told us this was always the case. We were crammed in like sardines along a tight corridor filing past posters warning us about seeking asylum or assisting anyone and when we finally got beyond the big blue banner stating "UK Border" we got a porcine grunt from a miserable official .... then we waited for the bus back to long term parking in the drizzle, stumbling in the dark over broken tarmac and invisible markings ...

The whole airport is the saddest, rundown dump I have ever seen ... and I've seen some third world airports!

Last month we flew with British Airways, for the last time ever. Even if we were stranded in the middle of nowhere (like Turkey), desperate to get home and BA offered to pay us for flying us back, I would tell them to piss off! Never have we sat in an airplane for nearly two hours as it heated up whilst waiting for a new air-conditioning system and then watched as billowing black smoke filled the plane when they tested the "new" one ...

By contrast, flying to and from Cyprus with Cyprus Airways is always the most relaxing combination ....

[Lee A Kada]

By contrast, flying to and from Cyprus with Cyprus Airways is always the most relaxing combination ....

You've obviously never flown with Easy Jet

[Oracle]

By contrast, flying to and from Cyprus with Cyprus Airways is always the most relaxing combination ....

You've obviously never flown with Easy Jet

Of course I have. The staff are always friendly and you know what to expect. They wouldn't be my first choice, but when times and dates are convenient ... then why not?

[Svetlana]

I have flown Easyjet, maybe a dozen times this year and will be using them for my Christmas vacation - they are significantly cheaper than other charter flights to the UK and I have never had delay problems.

Also, very happy with the new Pafos airport; somehow I have not experienced any major queues.

Lana

[Milo]

You living at the wrong end of the island thats all!!

Try the new Larnaca Airport! Its a 'real' airport

Although 'politics' is keeping the Paphos airport going I woud be surprised if it can afford to keep going for long unless they reduce the landing fees more for there than Larnaca (Govt is reducing them by a quarter) can,t see the need for Paphos anymore, the new international airport can easily deal with more han twice the number of passengers and its hoped to become a 'transitional' airport in the future.

Chatting to the operational readiness manager at Larnaca(Canadian) he expected that the old airport will not be used again btw and hopefully demolished. Plans for hotels etc for future business customers to the Middle East. Some airlines are planning to site themselves there IF landing fees are brought down inline with the rest of Europe.

I hope that its the start of many new bright things for Cyprus and the tourism industry.

I am taking someone for a Sleazyjet flight on Tuesday would never go with them myself Cyprus Airways are the best, just a silly price.

Well done and good luck to the new airport

Worst airport I have ever encountered has to be at Montego Bay Jamaica was offered drugs twice in ten minutes of retreiving my suitcase

Best airport so far.......was Orlando......I know, I know, but it was

J'Burg was by far the scariest to get out of.


http://dutchbusinesscyprus.com/albumsph ... ss=yme.css

[Paphitis]

You living at the wrong end of the island thats all!!

Try the new Larnaca Airport! Its a 'real' airport

Although 'politics' is keeping the Paphos airport going I woud be surprised if it can afford to keep going for long unless they reduce the landing fees more for there than Larnaca (Govt is reducing them by a quarter) can,t see the need for Paphos anymore, the new international airport can easily deal with more han twice the number of passengers and its hoped to become a 'transitional' airport in the future.

Larnaca Airport only has one runway, and from time to time, it may be necessary to shut this runway down for repairs or works, weather, or because another aircraft needs to be removed.

Therefore, Paphos makes an excellent alternate aerodrome for all inbound traffic to Larnaca and vice versa.

Milo wrote:

Chatting to the operational readiness manager at Larnaca(Canadian) he expected that the old airport will not be used again btw and hopefully demolished. Plans for hotels etc for future business customers to the Middle East. Some airlines are planning to site themselves there IF landing fees are brought down inline with the rest of Europe.

It all comes down to capital expenditure and as I understand it, the Paphos and Larnaca Airports cost a massive amount of money to develop and so the Airport Operators will be looking for an adequate return of investment.

Landing fees will not result in other major airline situating their headquarters in Larnaca, because Larnaca is not considered a major gateway or transit port. Perhaps you meant to say that other airlines will operate into Larnaca. If that is the case, then all companies that really do want to operate through Larnaca will do so, and pass on all costs (including landing and handling fees) to the consumer.

Milo wrote:

I hope that its the start of many new bright things for Cyprus and the tourism industry.

Both airports are a step in the right direction.

[Svetlana]

Whisper it, but I think that Pafos airport will remain for military reasons, if for no other. I would also guess that a significant number of tourists would prefer to arrive at Pafos rather than Larnaca.

I am not sure that having improved airports actually encourages tourism; surely it is tourist demand that dictates the number of flights, rather than the number of flights increasing tourism?

Tourist number are down 16% in the first 9 months of this year; the hoped for increase in tourism from Russia - to compensate for the languishing UK market - has not happened with Russian tourist numbers falling by 24% over the last 2 years.

Has anyone any news on the new Russian 'Eurodisney' due for completion in 2012? No doubt the introduction of the (Russian) talent (?) show, 'Star Factory' will disappear into the dust!

I tried to find some figures on the relative numbers of arrivals/departures from the two airports but could not find them; can you help, Paphitis?

Lana

[Paphitis]

Whisper it, but I think that Pafos airport will remain for military reasons, if for no other. I would also guess that a significant number of tourists would prefer to arrive at Pafos rather than Larnaca.

The airport has a dual military and civil role. If you view the airport from Google Earth you can see the military area, with its hangars and 2 tarmacs. You may also see a C130H from the Hellenic Air Force there and maybe 1 or 2 CNG Hind choppers.

Cyprus has another military airport just south of Nicosia, and it has a 2,000m runway. So your assumption that Paphos was built purely for military purposes is far fetched.

Furthermore, Paphos Airport serves another very valuable role. It allows airlines to nominate it as an Alternate (and this is very important) since Larnaca can close for a variety of reasons, especially since it only has 1 runway. That is to say, Cypriot airports are not very flexible due to being 1 runway airports, but having a second aerodrome provides this flexibility should it be required.

I am not sure that having improved airports actually encourages tourism; surely it is tourist demand that dictates the number of flights, rather than the number of flights increasing tourism?

No one would state this. However, the airport is the countries gateway and it gives visitors their first impression of Cyprus.

Furthermore, the new ground handling facilities will accept and dispatch aircraft much more efficiently which means Larnaca has increased capacity for traffic growth.

Tourist number are down 16% in the first 9 months of this year; the hoped for increase in tourism from Russia - to compensate for the languishing UK market - has not happened with Russian tourist numbers falling by 24% over the last 2 years.

I am certain this has more to do with the world economic melt down than Cyprus or its airports.

Has anyone any news on the new Russian 'Eurodisney' due for completion in 2012? No doubt the introduction of the (Russian) talent (?) show, 'Star Factory' will disappear into the dust!

I tried to find some figures on the relative numbers of arrivals/departures from the two airports but could not find them; can you help, Paphitis?

Lana

The last recorded official statistics are as follows:
1) Larnaca Airport - 5,225,000 passengers.
2) Paphos Airport - 1,800,000 passengers.

[Svetlana]

Hi Paphitis

I was not suggesting that Pafos airport was built for military purposes, only that I do not see the military letting it go. There is, of course, the supplementary runway on the motorway nearby, with the 'disposable' ARMCO barriers, also with 'turnround' bays - as there is on the Nicosia- Larnaca motorway.

lana