Ongoing tensions between Israel, the United States and Iran continue to disrupt air travel in Cyprus, as the number of people evacuated from the crisis zone to the island has reached 950.
According to Fileleftheros, the Interior Ministry said the figure includes Cypriots, EU citizens and foreign nationals who reside permanently in Cyprus. Many arrived late Saturday on scheduled flights from the United Arab Emirates.
The Middle East crisis is also affecting flights to and from Cyprus. On Sunday, a total of 30 flights between Larnaca Airport and destinations including Israel, Lebanon and the UAE were cancelled — 21 arrivals and 19 departures.
The paper also reported comments from Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis, who stressed that Cyprus remains a safe destination for tourism. Speaking at the “TUI Cyprus Marathon” in Kato Paphos, Koumis said 2,500 foreign visitors had arrived in recent days to take part in the event.
He acknowledged that recent developments in the region have led to some flight cancellations and a slowdown in bookings, but said it is still too early to make firm predictions about the upcoming tourism season.