Following the Turkish invasion, the airport was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting between Cypriot and Turkish forces, which led the United Nations Security Council to declare it a United Nations Protected Area (UNPA) during the conflict.
Following the Turkish invasion, the airport witnessed some of the most intense combat between Cypriot and Turkish forces, prompting the United Nations Security Council to designate it a United Nations Protected Area (UNPA) during the conflict.