Inside the eerie abandoned airport in holiday hotspot where planes have been left to rot on the tarmac for 50 years

Scottish Sun

12-05-2025

The airport has been described as a 'time capsule'
FROZEN IN TIME Inside the eerie abandoned airport in holiday hotspot where planes have been left to rot on the tarmac for 50 years
UNBELIEVABLE IMAGES reveal the eerie remains of an abandoned airport in a holiday hotspot where planes have been left to rot on the tarmac for 50 years.
The once-bustling transport hub Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus, now stands as a haunting relic - completely frozen in time.
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Empty seats covered in debris in the departures lounge
Credit: Getty - Contributor
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A decaying and abandoned passenger plane still sits on the tarmac
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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The abandoned control tower has sat empty for decades
Credit: Getty - Contributor
Harrowing images show the abandoned terminal, decaying runways, and even aircraft that have been left untouched for decades.
Originally built in the 1920s as an RAF base, Nicosia International Airport played a crucial role in World War II, serving as a key stopover for military and civilian flights.
And by the 1950s and 1960s, it had become a major gateway for tourists, even attracting Hollywood celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor.
But in 1974, conflict between Greek and Turkish forces led to its destruction and, later, abandonment.
The airport was officially closed to commercial flights following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, leaving it to rot from there on.
In 1977, the last commercial airline flights left Nicosia Airport under UN Special Authorisation, when British Airways engineers retrieved three stranded Cyprus Airways aircraft and flew them to London.
Now the airport lies within a United Nations Protected Area and remains largely off-limits to the public.
But this hasn't stopped urban explorers from visiting the site with its decayed grandeur and historical significance.
Ben, 31, who posts adventure content online, went to the airport alone to show its haunting remains.
He said: 'I wanted to explore this for about three years.
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The health control area in the main terminal building at the abandoned Nicosia International Airport
Credit: Getty - Contributor
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A sign leads to an empty cafe inside the main terminal
Credit: Getty
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A sign reading 'tipping porters not allowed' still stands in the foyer
'I decided to go and see it because, obviously, it's a very interesting historical site.
'I'd seen pictures of it, and I wanted to see it in person.'
Ben described the site as a chilling time capsule, largely untouched since the 1970s.
He added: 'The most amazing thing about it was it's obviously been untouched since 1974.
"I've never explored an abandoned airport before, and the fact that it still had planes there was crazy.
'It was like a real-life time capsule. Hardly anybody ever gets to see it, and that's just amazing.'
The haunting images serve as a stark reminder of Cyprus's divided history, with the airport standing as a ghostly monument to a conflict that reshaped the island.
Despite its eerie silence, Nicosia International Airport remains a powerful symbol of the past.
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A stairway covered in barbed wire leads to the former visitor's restaurant and terrace
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A broken window looks through to the former baggage claim hall