Turkish Airlines has announced plans to transport 2.1 million passengers to Northern Cyprus in 2024 a record figure that reflects surging demand for the island’s sun-drenched coasts, historic towns, and growing appeal as a hub for students and medical tourists.
The airline will operate over 30 weekly flights to Ercan International Airport from Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, with seasonal routes from European cities like London, Düsseldorf, and Amsterdam. According to Turkish Cypriot Civil Aviation Authority data, passenger numbers through Ercan rose 38% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, driven largely by diaspora travel and university enrollments.
At Kyrenia’s old harbor, fishing boats bob beside sleek yachts as café owners wipe down tables in the morning light. Just uphill, construction cranes swing over new student housing complexes symbols of a quiet transformation. “Five years ago, we’d close in winter,” says Mehmet Özkan, who runs a family-owned guesthouse. “Now, even in January, Turkish Airlines brings students back for exams and their parents come to visit.”
Near East University in Nicosia now hosts over 22,000 international students, many arriving via Turkish Airlines. Demir’s team launched a youth initiative pairing newcomers with local families for cultural immersion turning transient stays into lasting bonds. “These students don’t just come for degrees,” she says. “They fall in love with the island and many stay.”
Yet growth carries complexity. Ercan Airport remains unrecognized by the Republic of Cyprus and the EU, limiting direct international access. Most travelers must connect through Turkey a political reality that shapes everything from tourism marketing to medical evacuation protocols. Still, locals see aviation as a lifeline: not just for economy, but for visibility.
As Turkish Airlines scales its commitment, the island braces for both opportunity and strain on infrastructure, environment, and identity. But on a quiet evening in Famagusta, where the Mediterranean glows gold beneath the castle walls, an elderly shopkeeper watches a plane descend toward Ercan and smiles. “Every landing,” he says, “is someone coming home or discovering they belong here.”
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