New Ferry Route to Connect Cyprus with Lebanon
A new ferry service between Cyprus and Lebanon is set to launch this summer, creating an appealing new sea route to the Middle East.
Cyprus to Lebanon ferry
Cypriot Minister of Transport Alexis Vafeades told local newspaper Cyprus Mail that a new ferry link between the island nation and Lebanon will soon begin.
The new ferry route will connect Larnaca in Cyprus with Jounieh, a popular seaside resort just north of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
According to Mr Vafeades, service and port operators in both Cyprus and Lebanon have reached an agreement on the details of the new ferry connection.
He said: “We, of course, support such a venture, as we want to continue to improve the island’s connectivity.”
Ferry project
The new ferry connection is being launched by a group of investors led by the Lebanese business conglomerate INDEVCO Group.
It is being led by Neemat Frem, a Lebanese businessman and Member of Parliament representing the Keserwan–Byblos constituency.
Mr Frem launched the project for a ferry connection between Lebanon and Cyprus in 2021, fulfilling a long-standing wish of his father, the late Georges Frem, who founded INDEVCO Group and held numerous ministerial posts in Lebanon between the 1980s and early 2000s.
Launch date
According to Cypriot and Greek media, the new ferry link is set to start this summer, although government officials have stated there is no fixed launch date or timetable yet, with Cypriot Transport Minister Vafeades only saying it would launch “imminently”.
At present, Lebanese authorities are working to upgrade the port infrastructure in Jounieh to meet international standards and accommodate a passenger ferry, which includes installing security scanners and hiring personnel.
INDEVCO plans to establish a dedicated company in Cyprus that will acquire a ship with a capacity of around 200 passengers and operate the ferry.
International connections to and from Lebanon
The new ferry connection will not only greatly increase the maritime connectivity of Cyprus but especially that of Lebanon.
As Lebanon’s border with Israel remains firmly closed and travel through Syria is fraught with danger due to ongoing sectarian violence, most people travel in and out of the country by air via Beirut Airport.
This has caused problems for Lebanon during times of conflict, such as in September 2024, when Israeli fighter planes bombarded Beirut, prompting international airlines to withdraw from the country and only leaving Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines to operate sporadic flights during periods of relative calm.
Located in southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, Beirut Airport has long been controlled by the militant group, which has used its influence and armed presence for smuggling activities, including the trafficking of arms, although its grip is said to be weakening.
Currently, both Cyprus Airways and Middle East Airlines operate the short 45-minute flight between Beirut and Larnaca, a route travelled by an estimated 100,000 passengers during the summer months alone.
The new ferry link will be able to tap into this strong travel demand between Lebanon and Cyprus and is likely to be less vulnerable to international conflicts than flights from Beirut Airport, given that the Port of Jounieh is located in the Christian heartland of Lebanon.
Ferry links to Cyprus
In recent years, Cyprus has been steadily improving its maritime links, and this new service to the Middle East will certainly contribute further.
Suspended since 2000, the ferry link between Cyprus and Greece was finally reinstated in 2022, allowing passengers to travel on foot or by car between Limassol and Piraeus.
There is also a ferry link between Girne (Kyrenia) in Cyprus and Taşucu in Turkey, although the Cypriot government considers Girne an illegal entry point, as it is located in the northern (Turkish-occupied) part of the island.
An international ferry route linking Cyprus (Larnaca or Limassol) with Haifa in Israel has been discussed for many years but has yet to materialise.
Conclusion
A new ferry connection between Larnaca in Cyprus and Jounieh in Lebanon is set to begin this summer.
The prospective ferry connection has been approved by authorities in Cyprus and Lebanon, although the investors — led by the Lebanese conglomerate INDEVCO Group — still need to acquire a ship to operate the route and await the completion of port improvements in Jounieh before the service can commence.
For Lebanese travellers and foreign tourists wishing to visit Lebanon, it would provide an exciting new international connection to the country, which so far can only be realistically reached by plane through Beirut Airport, given that the border with Israel is closed and the overland route via Syria presents safety concerns.
