Plans to launch ferry linking Lebanon and Cyprus underway
BEIRUT — A passenger ferry linking Lebanon and Cyprus is set to launch soon, announced Cypriot Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades in an interview with Cyprus Mail on Tuesday.
The initiative was also confirmed to L'Orient Today by Pierre Akl, managing director of supply chain at Lebanese manufacturing company INDEVCO Group, who is overseeing the project. The island could, so far, only be reached by plane or private boats.
Launched in 2021 by MP and INDEVO Group CEO Neemat Frem, the plan was a longstanding ambition of Frem's father, according to Akl.
'It was initially meant to serve as an alternative in the event of war or airport disruption in Lebanon,' explained Akl. 'But it also establishes a direct European link through Cyprus and could help ease pressure on air travel. Around 100,000 passengers travel between Lebanon and Cyprus during the summer months.'
Lebanon and Cyprus were once linked through ferry services, but this was halted over 20 years ago. 'A line operated by the Lebanese Forces ran between Larnaca and Jounieh for about two years during the Civil War before it was discontinued,' Akl recalled.
Following the escalation of the Israeli-Hezbollah war in late September, many residents fled Lebanon by sea to Cyprus, as commercial flight options dwindled after all airlines — except the national carrier, Middle East Airlines — suspended operations in and out of the country.
With MEA flights overwhelmed by surging demand and often fully booked, desperate travelers turned to exorbitantly priced yachts and ferrie s as their only remaining means of escape.
'This initiative is expected to boost economic activity and tourism,' said Frem to L'Orient Today. He added that the connection could even pave the way for joint itineraries linking the two countries, encouraging tourists headed for Cyprus to visit Lebanon on that same trip.
'Around five million tourists visit Cyprus per year. We could capitalize on this opportunity to attract visitors to Lebanon,' said Frem.
Travel will also become easier for 'Cypriot businesses looking to expand into Lebanon, and vice versa,' the Cyprus Mail noted.
Operations could begin by early summer 2025
According to Cyprus Mail, 'interest in the project picked up after the change of government in Lebanon earlier this year, in February.'
A delegation from INDEVO, including Frem and Akl, met with Cypriot Transport Minister Vafeades last week to pitch the proposal. The minister reportedly welcomed the plan.
Initial contact was facilitated through national investment authority Invest Cyprus, 'which acted as an intermediary and arranged all the meetings with the relevant authorities in Cyprus,' Akl said.
Contacted, Invest Cyprus CEO Marios Tannousis said, 'It's early days [for the project]. This was a fact-finding mission by the investors.'
The ferry will operate between the Larnaca and Jounieh (Kesrouan) ports (about 24 kilometers north of Beirut), with each crossing expected to take around four hours. Passengers holding Lebanese passports will be required to present valid EU Schengen visas to enter Cyprus.
'INDEVCO will establish a company in Cyprus to run the line, and will purchase the vessel which will sail under a Cypriot flag,' he added. 'We will operate only one ferry in the first phase, with a capacity of around 200 passengers.'
According to a preliminary study conducted by the group, ferry tickets could be lower than plane tickets by 20 to 30 percent. 'They may go up to $200 and could go down to anything between $100 and $150 depending on the season, demand, and the load on the vessel,' Akl explained.
In that case, Lebanese people would have the possibility of taking the ferry to Cyprus and catching more affordable flights to destinations across the Mediterranean and the world.
'There are a few approvals and clearances that are underway,' but operations may launch at the beginning of summer 2025 if all goes according to plan.
Rachad Zeaiter, advisor to the Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister for seaports and airport affairs, told L'Orient Today that the Jounieh port requires key infrastructure upgrades, 'including security scanners and the deployment of security forces and military men to manage the cross-border movement.'
He says efforts are underway to assess and meet these requirements to facilitate the launch of Frem's project. An upcoming meeting is scheduled between INDEVCO and the ministry this week, Akl added.
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