Municipalities near Larnaca airport should receive compensation for the disturbances caused by air traffic, the transport committee demanded during its meeting on Thursday.

“We are talking about thousands of people whose quality of life is being degraded due to noise and pollution,” Akel MP Andreas Pasiourtidis said, stressing that no airport should operate without compensating affected areas for the environmental and social impact.

Disy MP Prodromos Alabritis echoed this sentiment, suggesting the introduction of a municipal airport fee to channel part of the airport’s revenue into Larnaca’s infrastructure and environmental projects.

Alabritis noted that despite being the island’s primary entry point for millions of visitors, Larnaca sees little benefit from hosting Cyprus’ largest airport.

Instead, the city faces increased traffic, air pollution and noise pollution. Citing examples from other EU countries that have implemented similar fees, he argued that incorporating such a charge into ticket prices could help mitigate the airport’s negative effects on the area.

Dromolaxia-Meneou Mayor Kypros Andronikou condemned the situation as an “ongoing injustice,” highlighting the stark contrast between the airport’s multimillion-euro revenue and the mounting financial burdens on local municipalities.

“This demand is longstanding, not a recent one,” he said. “We, the two municipalities, are determined to pursue this to the end, even taking the case to Cypriot and European courts if necessary to secure justice.”

Larnaca deputy mayor Iason Iasonidis also underscored the issue, noting that noise and visual pollution had been persistent problems since the airport began operations in 1975. He warned that if the state failed to act, the municipality might be forced to close roads or take stricter measures to demand its fair share of compensation.

“We do not want to go to extremes, we do not want to be forced by the state to close roads and take very strict measures. That is why we are here today, together, Larnaca and Dromolaxia-Meneou, to demand the obvious – the compensation to which we are entitled,” he added.

The attending parties – Disy, Akel, Diko, Edek and Elam – expressed broad consensus on the necessity of compensation measures, agreeing that such steps were essential to address the ongoing challenges.

The committee meeting followed talks between the mayors of Larnaca and Dromolaxia-Meneou at the end of February, where the municipalities called for financial compensation, either as a fixed annual amount or a fee per passenger.

In a letter to Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras reiterated that the issue could no longer be postponed. He argued that compensation should be calculated per passenger to reflect the growing strain on local infrastructure, traffic, and public services, especially in light of the planned expansion of Larnaca airport and upcoming airport management agreements.