Ercan International Airport — Tymbou (Kirklar), Cyprus

Ercan International Airport, coded ECN, functions as the main air gateway to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a territory recognized as a sovereign state only by Turkey and viewed internationally as occupied Cypriot territory under United Nations resolutions. That unusual political status means nearly all scheduled flights to ECN must first touch down in mainland Turkey before continuing to Northern Cyprus, a workaround tied to the broader international isolation the territory has faced since the island's 1974 division. Located a short distance from Nicosia, the divided capital split between Greek and Turkish administration, the airport primarily handles Turkish Cypriot residents, Turkish tourists drawn to the north's beaches and casinos, and a smaller number of visitors willing to navigate the indirect routing. Expansion projects in recent years added a considerably larger terminal to accommodate steadily growing passenger numbers despite the political constraints.