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About Ercan Intl. Airport
Ercan Airport, which was constructed in Nicosia to serve the British Air Forces during the Second World War, began to be used for civil flights after the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus gained its independence. The airport was named as Ercan Airport to honor the memory of the pilot Fehmi Ercan who was martyred in the Cyprus Peace Operation carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces in 1974. The airport, which was unable to meet passenger demand, was closed for a while with the purpose of renewal and expansion in 2002. Ercan Airport, which gained a new and modern look and started welcoming passengers again in 2004, is home to more than 100 thousand passengers each year.
Getting to the City Center from Ercan Intl. Airport
Ercan Airport is 23 kilometers from the capital Lefkoşa (Nicosia), 44 km from Girne, 50 km from Magosa and 62 km from Güzelyurt. You can benefit from KIBHAS airport shuttle service, which has been serving for 6 years, to reach the city center from the airport because there is not a developed transportation system in the island. You can also choose from taxi, airport transfer companies and car rental option.
If you have booked your accommodation in advance, it would be useful to ask if your hotel can arrange airport transfer or not. There are some hotels that provide free airport transfer according to the number of passengers.
KIBHAS Airport Shuttle Services
These shuttle buses, which have been serving since February 2009, take the airport passengers to the bus stations in Nicosia, Girne, Magosa, Güzelyurt and Lefke from morning till midnight. Once you arrive at the bus station, you can go wherever you will be staying by taxi or minibus departing from there. This shuttle service is the cheapest way to get to the city center or wherever you want from the airport.
KIBHAS shuttle services officially serve only between the airport and bus terminals, but they can also drop you off at a point on the route on your request. Before getting on the shuttle, you can ask the shuttle driver about this detail or you can find out about it during your reservation. You can book by phone before you arrive at the airport.
KIBHAS suttles departing from Ercan Airport to Girne and Nicosia run for 12 times from 08.10 till 00.30. The number of the shuttles to other destinations is less frequent. KIPHAS shuttles to Güzelyurt and Lefke serve 7 times a day between 09.30 and 00.30 and the shuttles to Magosa serve 9 times a day from 08:10 to 00:30. Departure times may vary and the waiting times between the shuttle services are different for each service. You can easily see the KIPHAS building when you go out the incoming passenger terminal.
Taxi
Taxi fares at Ercan Airport might be a bit more expensive compared to the fares in Turkey. However, if you want to take a taxi, do not forget to bargain with the driver and make a comparison. With KIBHAS shuttles coming into service, demand for taxi has decreased and so, taxi drivers may reduce taxi fares considerably. You can be prepared by online searching for the offers of the companies for taxi fares to reach your destination. Also, if you are traveling with a few people and when you compare the per passenger shuttle charges, taking a taxi may be a more practical and convenient option, though the same advantage does not apply to taxi fare. Please note that the TRNC taxis can take up to 3 passengers as required by law.
Airport Transfer Companies
You can also benefit from the vehicles of the companies that provide airport transfer service to reach the city center or the hotels from the airport by making a reservation in advance. Especially if you are traveling in groups, the transportation service provided by these may also be more suitable for you in terms of price. These vehicles meet you at the airport upon your arrival and ensure you to reach your destination without waiting. Before boarding the plane, you can make a quick online search and make a reservation in advance or you can ask your hotel to arrange such a service.
Rent a car
Car rental prices in Cyprus are particularly convenient if you are going to rent a car for 3 or more days compared to Turkey. So are the fuel prices! Moreover, you can find many parking places which you don’t have to pay for. For this reason, renting a car is one of the preferred options for sightseeing in Cyprus. By renting a car, you can be more flexible during your trip and you can travel all over the island, which is not already very big. However, the traffic flows in the reverse direction (left) compared to Turkey and there are the right hand drive cars. For some people, this requires an adaptation process, especially at first. It would be useful to rent a car keeping this in mind. It is also important to remember that the automatic cars make it easier to get used to this adaptation process.
If you plan to travel from the airport by renting a car, we advise you to book in advance. As it is a common and preferred method in the island, you may have difficulty in finding a convenient car at the airport. To rent a car, you must be over 25 years old and have a Turkish Republic driving license. Ercan Airport has a car park reserved for rental cars. Many car rental companies use this car park. You can pick up and deliver your car at the same parking area. The car rental companies in Cyprus are usually local enterprises.
Getting to Ercan Intl. Airport from the City Center
You can get to the airport from the surrounding cities by KIBHAS airport shuttle services because public transportation in Cyprus is not very developed.
The buses, which depart from Nicosia (Lefkoşa) Bus Terminal to Ercan Airport, run between 05.15 and 20.30 for 11 times during the day. The service intervals are variable; for example, the first service is at 05:15 am, the second service is at 08:00 am and the third service is at 09:30 am. You can find out the right time for you on internet or you can ask for the current service hours by telephone. The airport shuttle services which depart near the Girne Colony Hotel run between 04:50 and 20:00. The airport shuttle services departing from Magosa Bus Station run between 05.00 and 22.30; those shuttle services departing from Güzelyurt Bus Station run between 04.20 and 19.20; and those departing from Lefke Bus Station provide service between 03.50 and 18.50.
In order to reach the bus stations, you can get on the minibuses that run in the city. If you want to return to the airport by the car you have rented, you can leave the car at the rental car park and deliver it to the authorized person of the car rental company. Do not forget to bargain if you want to take a taxi or benefit from the airport transfer services with a driver.
Airport Information
Ercan Airport is the only active airport in Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The airport usually hosts the flights from Turkey and the UK. The airport also has a modern look because the airport building, which consists of incoming and departing passenger terminals, has been renewed. As a typical island airport, it is not such a big airport. In both terminals, you can find restaurants, the cafés including Gloria Jean’s Café and the stores selling souvenirs. There are also duty-free shopping stores in the departing passenger terminal. Unifree Lacomel Duty Free, Merit Elite Duty Free, Net Voyager Duty Free, Kaner Duty Free and Cipro Duty Free are all among these stores. You can access these stores once you go through passport and police control. The airport offers the ATM machines of many banks as well as airline ticket sales offices and the offices of car rental companies.
There are two car parks as the paid car park and rental car park at Ercan Airport. There are no special service areas like “Lounges” apart from the waiting rooms at the airport. There is one lounge reserved for government officials or their official guests only. Internet access at the airport is free of charge, but it might be relatively slow. Gloria Jean’s Café also offers internet access.
Weather in Nicosia
Min 8ºC - Max 19ºCMin 9ºC - Max 19ºCMin 9ºC - Max 19ºC
Min 11ºC - Max 22ºCMin 11ºC - Max 24ºC
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