Israel suspends flights to Cyprus' Paphos airport for security reasons

Paphos airport, smaller and near a military base, had up to 10 weekly flights from Tel Aviv.

Israel has ordered the suspension of Israeli commercial flights to Paphos in Cyprus, Cypriot officials confirmed on Monday, for unspecified security reasons.

Paphos is the smallest of Cyprus's two airports and abuts a military base slated for an upgrade by the US (AP)

Domestic security agency Shin Bet ordered the suspension of flights to the airport, a terminal catering mainly to charter traffic on the western coast of Cyprus, late on Sunday night, reports from Israel said.

"The Republic of Cyprus is aware of the change in scheduling, for security reasons, of Israeli companies from and to Paphos airport. This happened some days ago," a Cypriot official told Reuters.

"Flights (from Israel) are continuing normally to Larnaca," the official added, referring to Cyprus's largest international airport.

Paphos is the smallest of Cyprus's two airports and abuts a military base slated for an upgrade by the U.S. According to its winter flight schedule available online, there are up to 10 flights a week from Tel Aviv and 7 flights a week from Haifa.