Larnaca Airport faces complaints over long queues

Larnaca Airport has been facing increasing complaints from passengers about long queues, prompting Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades to address the issue on Wednesday.

Speaking on CyBC radio, Vafeades acknowledged that certain inefficiencies were caused by understaffing, which the airport’s planned expansion should resolve. He added that his ministry regularly reviews IATA criteria while ministry staff present at the airport, as well as civil aviation personnel, are monitoring the situation.

Recent complaints peaked on Monday, when passengers experienced chaotic scenes due to long waiting times. Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis brought up the issue in parliament, while Hermes, the airport operator, responded by stating that their electronic monitoring system showed waiting times were mostly within the agreed limits – though at times, passport control could stretch up to 25 minutes, exceeding the ideal 15-minute wait.

The operator had also said it was in consultation with immigration services and the ministry of transport to find ways to streamline the processing of passengers.

“We are aware of the problem which is, firstly, due to increased movement, as this year also had seen record arrivals,” the minister said.

The state is close to an agreement with Hermes, which would guarantee its ability to cope with airport traffic, until at least 2036, he said.

Asked about automatic passport scanning stations, the minister clarified that inspection must be carried out a second time by immigration police after passing through the station, because security officials need to cross-check the machine printout against travellers’ passport photos.

One of the bottlenecks has to do with security measures, and another with increased arrivals, Vafeades said.

“By the end of the month we will have a change in regulations, which will physically separate third country nationals from EU citizens,” the minister said.

One of the criticisms levied by disgruntled passengers had been that EU nationals paradoxically end up in queues longer than those of arrivals from non-EU states.

“With the new regulation, EU citizens will be able to be processed faster,” he said.

The matter of arrivals and departures happening upstairs, with the lower floor of the airport being unused, is due to security measures which went into effect in October, due to the regional developments, Vafeades said.

“It is also the reason for the prohibition of the use of the road in the arrivals area,” he added.

As for departures, bottlenecks are caused by people parking and accompanying passengers inside, he said, rather than simply dropping them off.

Several ideas are being explored, the minister added, for improving efficiency with one solution being to copy what has been done at Paphos airport, where passengers can now be dropped off without using the road directly in front of the airport’s entrance.