Israeli airlines have been instructed not to fly to Paphos, Cyprus, until further notice, according to Israeli security officials.
This directive affects companies such as El Al, Arkia, and IsraAir.
The instruction comes from the Shin Bet internal security service and cites “security reasons that cannot be disclosed.”
The airlines have been informed that their flights to Paphos will be diverted to Larnaca. Additionally, they confirmed the ban to Channel 12.
Passengers heading to Paphos have already been notified about changes to their travel plans. Ynet reports that passengers are not prohibited from traveling to Paphos after arriving in Cyprus.
From its side, Nicosia remains silent on the matter.
According to reports, over the past few days, all flights from Israel to Paphos airport have been redirected to Larnaca airport.
Today, a journalist from Israel’s Channel 12 asked Israeli officials about the situation, and they stated that all flights by Israeli airlines to Paphos are banned for security reasons. Flights to Larnaca, however, continue as usual.
It is speculated that Israel may have received intelligence about a potential terrorist act in Paphos.
Paphos airport shares the same runway for takeoffs and landings with the “Andreas Papandreou” airbase, which was visited two days ago by American officials evaluating the site for upgrades.
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