Larnaca
International Airport
The gateway to Cyprus and the alternate the desk files for Beirut. One 9,823 foot runway at sea level, open 24 hours with customs on the field, the only FBO on the island, no landing permit for private flights, and a position between Europe, the Levant and Egypt that gives it more private traffic than the island’s size suggests. Our Larnaca private jet guide covers the runway, handling, permissions, parking and customs for crews and charter clients.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 15 September 2026
The Airport
Larnaca at a glance
Larnaca International Airport carries the ICAO code LCLK and the identifier LCA. A single runway of 9,823 feet at 11 feet elevation on the bay, about 2.5 miles south west of Larnaca, with Limassol about 45 minutes and Nicosia about 40 minutes by road.
It is open 24 hours with customs and immigration on the field, handling through Skylink Services, the only FBO in Cyprus, and no landing permit for private flights. Cyprus is in the European Union but outside Schengen, so every arrival is a passport control.
Facts checked against the Hermes Airports publications for Larnaca and Paphos and the Skylink Services FBO data, plus Icarus Jet operations data.
The Role
Where Cyprus sits, and why it matters
Larnaca handles close to ten million passengers a year and is the main gateway into Cyprus, but its role in private aviation is bigger than the island. It sits between Europe, the Levant and Egypt, an hour from Athens, forty minutes from Beirut and an hour and a half from Cairo, which makes it a natural technical stop, a customs stop and a waiting airport for aircraft working the eastern Mediterranean.
It is the standing alternate for Beirut. Rafic Hariri is the only airport in Lebanon, so an aircraft that cannot land there leaves the country, and Larnaca, open 24 hours with no permit for the diversion, is where the desk sends it. That role is written into every Beirut file the desk produces, with the fuel to reach it.
Operating
Handling, customs and the two other fields
No landing permit is needed for private flights, and the desk confirms charter authorisations by registration for operators from outside the European Union. Handling is through Skylink Services, the only FBO in Cyprus, a dedicated facility opened in 2010 that runs 24 hours and takes everything from a very light jet to a widebody, with the old terminal serving as the VIP terminal for executive aircraft and visiting delegations. Jet A-1 is available at all hours through the FBO. Cyprus is in the European Union but outside Schengen, so every arrival is a passport control, including from Athens.
Paphos International, LCPH, serves the west of the island with an 8,855 foot runway at 39 feet elevation, about four miles from Paphos and an hour from Limassol, and takes business aircraft on the same terms. Ercan, LCEN, in the Turkish-administered north has a 9,038 foot runway but is recognised only by Turkey and reachable only from Turkey, so private traffic to Cyprus uses Larnaca or Paphos.
History
Built in a hurry, in 1975
Nicosia International closed in 1974 and Larnaca opened on 8 February 1975 on the site of a 1930s airfield and a British military installation, with prefabricated buildings and limited capacity. It has been rebuilt since, with a new terminal in 2009 and Hermes Airports as the operator of both Larnaca and Paphos.
The old terminal became the VIP terminal, and the Skylink FBO followed in 2010, which is why an island of a million people has a business aviation facility that would suit a capital. The position did the rest.
Nearby
Larnaca and the fields around it
Larnaca is planned with the fields either side of it: Beirut, for which it is the alternate, and the Greek and Egyptian sectors the desk flies most.
OLBABeirutHECACairo InternationalHESXSphinx InternationalHESHSharm El Sheikh
Beirut is 40 minutes east and the reason Larnaca is on so many files. Cairo, Sphinx and Sharm El Sheikh are an hour to an hour and a half south. Athens is about an hour and a half west, with Mykonos, Santorini and Kalamata the summer sectors beyond it, each with its own slot regime.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Larnaca, answered
Can private jets fly into Larnaca?
Yes. Larnaca International takes business aircraft of every size on a 9,823 foot runway, with the only FBO in Cyprus, Skylink Services, customs and immigration open 24 hours, and no landing permit for private flights. It is the main gateway into the island and the standing alternate for Beirut.
Do I need a landing permit for Cyprus?
Not for a private flight. Cyprus is in the European Union and private movements need handling and parking arranged rather than a permit. Charter operators from outside the EU may need authorisation, which the desk confirms by registration before it files.
Is Cyprus in Schengen?
No. Cyprus is in the European Union but outside the Schengen area, so every arrival is a passport control, including from Athens or Rome, and every departure to a Schengen country is an external flight at the other end. Customs and immigration at Larnaca run 24 hours.
Which handler do private jets use at Larnaca?
Skylink Services, the only FBO in Cyprus, a dedicated facility opened in 2010 that runs 24 hours and takes everything from a very light jet to a widebody. The old terminal serves as the VIP terminal for executive aircraft and visiting delegations. The desk appoints Skylink with the parking and the fuel.
Why is Larnaca the alternate for Beirut?
Because Rafic Hariri is the only airport in Lebanon, so an aircraft that cannot land there leaves the country. Larnaca is about 140 nautical miles west, open 24 hours, and needs no permit for the diversion, so the desk writes it into every Beirut file with the fuel to reach it.
How long is the runway at Larnaca?
Runway 04/22 is 3,000 metres by 45, about 9,823 feet by 148, asphalt, at 11 feet elevation. Nothing in business aviation is limited by it, and the field takes widebody airliners daily.
Does Larnaca need a slot or PPR?
Private movements are arranged through the FBO, which books the parking and the handling with the airport. In the summer peak the desk asks for the dates early so a stand is held, and it confirms the arrangement before the aircraft is positioned.
Can I use Paphos instead?
Yes, for the west of the island. Paphos International has an 8,855 foot runway at 39 feet elevation, about four miles from Paphos and an hour from Limassol, and takes business aircraft on the same terms. Larnaca has the FBO; Paphos is chosen for the address.
Can I fly into Ercan?
Not in practice. Ercan, in the Turkish-administered north, has a 9,038 foot runway but is recognised only by Turkey and reachable only from Turkey. Private traffic to Cyprus uses Larnaca or Paphos.
Is fuel available at Larnaca?
Yes, Jet A-1 at all hours through the FBO. The desk arranges the uplift with the handling so the departure is not waiting on a truck, and prices the tankering question on the Beirut and Egypt sectors.
How far is the airport from the city?
About four kilometres, 2.5 miles, south west of Larnaca on the bay, ten minutes by road. Limassol is about 45 minutes, Nicosia about 40, Ayia Napa about 40, and the handler arranges the car to the FBO door.
What time zone is Cyprus in?
Eastern European Time, EET in winter and EEST in summer, UTC+2 and UTC+3. The desk files the handling and any authorisation in UTC and confirms the local times back to you, so the offset never lands on the pickup.
Flying into Larnaca International Airport on your own aircraft? Our trip support desk files the permission, handling and fuel before you ask. Chartering instead? See the Athens and the Greek island routes we fly.
Get Your Number
Request a Cyprus charter
Tell us the dates, the passengers and the sector. We book the FBO and the parking at Larnaca or Paphos, confirm any charter authorisation, arrange the fuel and plan the onward sector before the aircraft is positioned.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7, or send the trip online.