Ercan Airport

Ercan Airport photo by: Meltem Erden [ enlarge photo ]

Ercan airport: ready for business

As he officially opened the renovated Ercan airport in May 2004, the Prime Minister of the TRNC announced that; "Ercan Airport will be the door that connects Turkish Cypriots to the rest of the world." Certainly, with its modern facilities and light, airy design, Ercan airport is the ideal door to the delights of North Cyprus too!

Ercan airport; North Cyprus starts here

Over 100 flights arrive at Ercan airport in North Nicosia every week during the summer months. From the moment you step of the plane, the relaxed atmosphere of North Cyprus invites you to leave the stresses and strains of everyday life behind. You even stroll from plane to terminal across the warm tarmac – no need for crowded transfer buses when North Cyprus is blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year! Ercan airport manages to be both efficient and calm, so your luggage arrives with a minimum of fuss almost before you are there to collect it from the carousel. From there, it’s just a short walk into the sunshine to collect your hire car, or catch a taxi or coach to your North Cyprus holiday destination.

Driving Directions from Ercan Airport to Kyrenia

Read our easy-to-follow, step-by-step, accurate driving directions from Ercan Airport to Kyrenia (Girne). We even have the exact route as a Google Earth file so you can see the route before you go!

Ercan Airport from Helicopter photo by: TAK News Agency [ enlarge photo ]

Ercan airport facilities: flying home

After you check in, Ercan international airport offers the returning traveller not one by several duty free shops! The prices are sometimes displayed in Euros, but you can pay in Turkish Lira, US Dollars or Sterling. The best buys are alcohol and tobacco, which are cheaper than in normal shops, but bear in mind your duty free allowances – North Cyprus is not in the EU. There are also two cafés where you can have a drink whilst waiting for your flight from Ercan airport. Announcements of flights are made in both Turkish and English.

Ercan airport: statistics

Ercan International Airport in Northern Cyprus (IATA code, ECN) stands at 403 feet (123m) above sea level, at coordinates 35°09′35″N, 33°30′00″E. Ercan airport has two paved runways, one 2,755 metres long, direction 11/29 and one 1,800 metres long, direction 16/34. At present, Ercan aiport North Cyprus receives flights by four airlines;

Pegasus Flights

Pegasus Airlines flights to Ercan, North Cyprus

Pegasus Airlines offer regular flights from Istanbul airport to Ercan North Cyprus. The route offers a new way to get to North Cyprus, since easyjet announced daily flights to Istanbul Airport from London’s Luton airport. Now, you can combine a flight to Ercan North Cyprus by taking a flight on easyjet to Istanbul, and changing planes to catch a Pegasus flight (or indeed any flight) to Ercan airport in North Cyprus.

Atlas Jet flights to Ercan, North Cyprus

Atlas Jet Flights

Atlas Jet started out as a charter airline, but now offer scheduled flights to airports within Turkey. Atlas Jet also offer charter flights to Ercan airport Northern Cyprus from the UK as well as other European countries including Germany, Holland, Spain, France, Italy, and Denmark. Search for a cheap flight to Ercan North Cyprus here using Cyprus44's quick and easy flight finder.

Cyprus Turkish Airlines flights to Ercan airport, North Cyprus

Cyprus Turkish Airlines

Cyprus Turkish Airlines (also known as Kıbrıs Türk Hava Yolları, or KTHY) are the national carrier of North Cyprus. The airline is based at Ercan airport in North Cyprus, and has a fleet of 3 Airbuses and three Boeing 737s, flying from UK airports and Frankfurt to Turkey, then on to North Cyprus.

Turkish Airlines flights to Ercan airport, Northern Cyprus

Turkish Airlines fly to Ercan North Cyprus via Istanbul in Turkey, where you change planes before flying on to Ercan airport in North Cyprus.

Direct flights to Ercan airport

At present, all flights to Ercan must make a brief stopover in Turkey. However, the dream of direct flights to Ercan in North Cyprus moved closer when in July 2005, a flight from Baku in Azerbaijan landed at Ercan airport. Such was the importance of this flight that the Prime Minister met the passengers and crew, along with folk dancers, amazed onlookers and a raft of press photographers!

More importantly, perhaps, three members of the US Congress landed at Ercan airport the previous month, June 2005. Prior to their arrival, the airport has been scrutinised to see if it met international security standards, and clearly passed as the US delegation were happy to fly there. US President George Bush subsequently instructed his Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to investigate the possibility of direct flights to north Cyprus from the USA. The Turkish Cypriot dream of direct flights to Ercan airport is moving ever closer, and should Turkey join the EU, will become a long-awaited reality.