Local authorities in eastern Paphos are reviving a demand for compensation over what they say is the damage done by Paphos International Airport, and will take it to the five Paphos district members of the House of Representatives.
They want a coordinated approach this time rather than the piecemeal one that has got them nowhere so far, they say.
Three developments have pushed the issue up the local agenda, according to the authorities: a sharp rise in activity at the facility, driven partly by an air base they say now runs 24 hours a day because of regional conflicts, record passenger traffic at the airport last year, and the start of expansion works, which they read as a sign of what is coming for residents.
The nuisance is now obvious day and night across a zone of several kilometres around the site, they say.
The authorities accept the airport brings significant economic benefits, but say it also carries environmental, social and other costs that hit local living standards. They list pollution, noise and constraints on development and business activity.
Several ideas are on the table as they work out what to ask for. They include a special fee on every passenger, funding for infrastructure projects, tree planting and green zones, road improvements to give better access to the airport, and money for social and cultural activities.
The demand was first raised before the recent parliamentary elections in both Paphos and Larnaca. Geroskipou municipal council backed it unanimously and agreed to seek cooperation with Larnaca and Dromolaxia-Meneou municipalities, which face the same problems, but nothing has been taken forward since.
The authorities argue the measures would balance the benefits of the airport against its effects, securing sustainable development for the area and quality of life for residents.
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