High ticket prices in North Cyprus affecting international students

Turkish Cypriots and international students living in North Cyprus are made to pay over the board for flight tickets before they could leave the island which has made traveling so expensive.

International students and possibly other nationals residing in the country has no other exit route from the island than the Ercan airport in the north while the Turkish Cypriots are thus presented with numerous option in the southern part of the island when they need an alternative exit route out of the country.

According to report, many in recent months have instead choose to use the Larnaca airport in the south over Ercan in the north which has seen more than 30% increase in passengers from the north. 

The reason for this according to Turkish Cypriot tour operators was the overpriced flights out of the north. 

For example, a return ticket to Istanbul from Ercan costs around €250 while a 35- minute flight to Antalya, Turkey is priced around €180 so Turkish Cypriots are choosing to go elsewhere.

Also other reason why they prefer to travel from the south were because the flights were direct.  A plane departing from Ercan has to touch down in Turkey in order to fly to other destinations which could be very cumbersome and stressful. And at the same time, flights from Larnaca are direct.

In the same vain, tickets for a plane to Istanbul for a family of four people are as much as a full-fledged tour to Europe.

As such Turkish Cypriots’ tends to book their holiday destination of choice to places like Italy and Spain. 

But what can be said of international students and other nationals in the North who wished to travel out of the country but has no access to the south? 

They are forced to fork out huge sum of money for flight tickets to their various countries or destination. Unlike the Turkish Cypriot, they can't fly out of the country by taking airports located in the south.   

Authorities should  please look into the issue and take necessary measures to protect international students and tourists from high ticket prices.

By Olomo