Cyprus emerges as key transit hub amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Cyprus has become a vital transit point as hostilities escalate between Israel and Iran, with people fleeing Israel and others seeking to return. The island is facilitating travel in both directions, with thousands passing through Larnaca’s port and airport.
According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), around 1,500 people of Jewish origin—citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia – arrived at Larnaca port on Wednesday morning aboard the cruise ship Crown Iris, which had departed from the Israeli port of Ashdod the day before.
They were then transferred to Larnaca airport to continue their journeys to their home countries.
Among those on board was Dorian, 20, who spoke to Reuters about the experience.
“We didn’t sleep for nights on end. We are all very exhausted and it’s a sigh of relief. In Israel, I was very afraid. I was never used to anything like that. Sirens, missiles, or anything like that. New York is pretty much very safe and this was new to me,” he said.
Others shared similar sentiments. Neil, an American national, told CNA he had travelled to Israel to visit family but was “forced to leave and return to the US” due to the escalating conflict. He said the overall situation in Israel was “good,” but that “when ballistic missiles start being launched by Iran, people are forced to go to shelters.”
He added that he “feels safe being in Cyprus.”
Mati, a 35-year-old American mother of seven, said she was now “waiting to see when we will be able to return by flight back to our countries of residence and our families.” She added that many travellers “do not know much about when our flights will depart” and that “we have to wait.”
Israeli and American media had reported that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has chartered four widebody aircraft to fly to Cyprus and then return to Tampa, Florida with the American nationals from the Crown Iris on board.
Meanwhile, Israelis stranded abroad have been using Cyprus as a stepping stone to return home. The Israeli government launched operation “Safe Return” earlier in the week, aiming to repatriate up to 150,000 Israeli citizens via air and sea.
The first successful flight under the operation, operated by Israel’s national carrier El Al, departed from Larnaca on Wednesday and landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev, who was at the airport’s control tower, described the moment as “very emotional.”
She stood in Ben Gurion airport’s control tower as the flight arrived, speaking to the aeroplane’s captain over the radio.
“We are very excited to receive the first rescue flight as part of the ‘Safe Return’ programme. We are preparing for the full-scale airlift to bring everyone home safely,” she said.
El Al has since been joined by Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa in operating special flights between Cyprus and Israel. Thirteen such flights were expected to depart from Larnaca on Wednesday alone – four to Tel Aviv and nine to Haifa – carrying around 1,000 passengers in total.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that El Al is to operate repatriation flights from Athens, Rome, Milan, Paris, Budapest, and London in the coming days
As well as the flights, some Israelis are expected to travel to the country by sea, with 1,600 expected to board the Crown Iris for a return voyage from Larnaca to Haifa.
CNA reported that the ship is expected to make another trip from Haifa to the port of Limassol later in the week and may in due course be replaced with a larger-capacity cruise ship.
Despite Regev’s assurances, Israelis waiting in Larnaca remained anxious about when they would be able to travel to the country.
One Israeli woman, Limon, told CNA she had travelled to Ayia Napa for a four-day holiday but had now been in Cyprus for eight days due to the conflict.
She added that she and others “want to return to Israel, despite the fact that the situation is not good, because we do not know when we will have the opportunity to travel by air”.
Lisa from Haifa said she had travelled to Cyprus with her husband to celebrate his birthday, but that they are both now trying to leave the island earlier than originally planned.
“I want to return to my home because that is where my children, my grandchildren, and my parents are. I am not afraid of the situation in the region. All I want is to be with my family,” she said.