Cyprus flights including easyJet and BA cancelled after airport 'explosion' - full list

Dozens of flights to and from Cyprus have been cancelled after an explosion and a drone threat forced the evacuation of Paphos International Airport and disrupted operations at Larnaca, the island's main hub. The chaos stemmed from a suspected Iranian Shahed-style drone strike on the runway at nearby RAF Akrotiri overnight on Sunday into Monday, March 2, 2026, with no injuries reported but widespread security fears triggering further alerts.

Hermes Airports, which operates both Larnaca (LCA) and Paphos (PFO), confirmed more than 60 flights were axed across the two sites - 42 at Larnaca and 18 at Paphos - affecting roughly 5,000 passengers. Paphos was ordered into an "immediate and total evacuation" after an unidentified drone entered restricted airspace, while Larnaca was reportedly rocked by a blast linked to the regional security incident.

Both airports resumed operations later on Monday, but the knock-on effects hit UK routes hardest amid heightened Middle East tensions.

easyJet was among the hardest hit, cancelling all its services to and from Cyprus on March 2 as a precaution. The budget carrier axed multiple return flights linking London Gatwick and Manchester with both Paphos and Larnaca.

British Airways cancelled its four scheduled Larnaca services from the UK on Tuesday and suspended several other Middle East routes up to March 5. The Lufthansa Group, which operates connecting flights from various European airports, has halted all four flights to and from the island for the day.

A British Airways spokesperson said: "We are closely monitoring the situation and have cancelled a number of our flights to the Middle East. Safety is always our top priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so.

"If you are due to fly between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv up to and including March 15 you can change your flight date free of charge to travel on or before 29 March. Customers travelling up to and including March 8 may also request a full refund in Manage My Booking.

"If you are travelling between London and Larnaca up to and including March 15, you can change your flight date free of charge to travel on or before March 29."

An easyJet spokesperson said: "Due to the events affecting the RAF base in Akrotiri in Cyprus, as a precaution, we will not be operating the four return flights to Cyprus scheduled today.

"We continue to do all we can to minimise the impact for our customers and have notified them directly in advance with their options for rebooking or a refund, and are providing hotel accommodation and meals for those who require them.

"We advise all customers due to travel to and from Cyprus over the coming days to check our flight tracker for the latest information.

"The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority and we continue to closely monitor the security situation in the region."

A TUI spokesperson said: "The safety of our customers is our highest priority, and we are closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and surrounding regions.

"We are currently operating our Cyprus program as planned, but as this is an evolving situation, that could be subject to change."

A Jet2 spokesperson said: "We always follow the travel advice of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and their current guidance shows that there are no travel restrictions in place to Cyprus. As such, our flights and holidays are operating as normal, and are subject to the usual terms and conditions. We will of course continue to monitor the situation closely."

British Airways: Four flights

easyJet: Four flights

Lufthansa: Four flights

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the Akrotiri strike: a one-way attack drone hit the runway at Britain's largest overseas base. She said of the situation in general: "We are setting up the support systems because as well as the 94,000 people who have been in touch when we set up the 'register your presence' system, there's an estimated 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries that have now been targeted by Iran, including countries where now airspace is closed as a result of those attacks.

Cypriot authorities later reported that two further drones heading toward the base were intercepted. The UK Foreign Office updated travel advice, urging Britons to follow local instructions. RAF Akrotiri continued operating "as normal" despite minor damage.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority reminded passengers of their rights: airlines must provide care and assistance (meals, accommodation, communication) for cancellations, with refunds or rebooking options available.

Stranded travellers unable to get airline support can claim reasonable costs later with receipts. Details of scheduled flights can be found here.

As of early March 3, Hermes Airports advised passengers to contact their airline directly, with no new blanket cancellations reported.

easyJet stated services from today onward are expected to run normally, subject to ongoing monitoring. Travellers due to fly to or from Cyprus in the coming days are urged to check flight trackers and airline apps for real-time updates.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating regional conflict, with the drone attack widely attributed to Iranian-backed actions following strikes elsewhere in the Middle East.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Cyprus incidents at the time of publication.