The Larnaca authorities want to challenge the terms of the tender for ferry services between Greece and Cyprus: in their opinion, its provisions create an advantage for the port of Limassol over the port of Larnaca. Larnaca is demanding the intervention of the Ministry of Shipping.

The Larnaca municipality, its Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Company for the Development and Promotion of Tourism clarify that the main criterion for assessing the tender with a 55% weighting is distance. Larnaca is further away from Greek Piraeus than Limassol, but other important parameters are not taken into account. For example, the processing time of the entire business process or the size of the port charges, which can have a decisive impact on the price of the issue. In addition, the Larnaca authorities point out that their port has a unique comparative advantage: it is centrally located and very close to the international airport.

Larnaca is claiming that the tender conditions should be revised to exclude points that prevent potential bidders from giving the port of Larnaca a decent consideration as a ferry departure/arrival point.