Hermes Airports expects to welcome some 13 million passengers this year

Around 13 million passengers are expected to pass through Larnaca and Paphos airports this year, according to Maria Kouroupi, Director of Aviation Development, Marketing and Communications at Hermes Airports

Speaking to CNA, Kouroupi also said that passenger traffic for the summer season is expected to increase, with new routes and new airlines starting flights to and from Cyprus.

The year, Kouroupi noted, "has started very well, including the first three months of winter, having already seen an increase of 7% compared to the same period last year", adding that "one of our goals is to lengthen the winter tourist season and combat tourism seasonality in Cyprus."

Asked about the upcoming summer season, she replied that "normally and based on the scheduling of the airlines, it starts at the end of March. It seems that passenger traffic will increase, as several new routes have already been announced, new airlines are starting to fly to and from Cyprus and there are also additions to existing routes with an increase in weekly flights."

In response to a question, the Hermes Airports executive said that "among new airlines we have AnimaWings, SkyUP, which is re-entering the Cyprus market this time with the Chisinau route, Air Haifa, which started flights to Larnaca and Paphos, and Saudia, which is starting routes from Riyadh, one of the routes that both we and the state have been pursuing."

She also noted that "new routes from France to Larnaca will begin to be operated by Transavia airline, specifically to Marseille and Lyon airports, while Aegean is starting flights from Larnaca to Rome."

Moreover, she added, "EasyJet has started flights to and from Amsterdam, which come to reinforce Transavia's existing connection, while Cyprus Airways offers on a seasonal basis the route to Venice."

Regarding the UK, Kouroupi noted that "in 2025, an increase in existing routes is planned, specifically to and from Manchester and London Luton and Gatwick airports."

She also said that "Condor, which had discontinued its flights from Germany, is returning with two routes from Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, which is seen as a particularly encouraging development for this market."

At the same time, she continued, "Ryanair is adding flights to Düsseldorf's second airport, Wieze, from Paphos, and there are increases on some other routes from Poland, such as Katowice."

Regarding passenger traffic, Kouroupi said that "we estimate that based on the airlines' schedules for 2025, we will reach 13 million total passengers."

She also said that "we are very optimistic about all these developments and we continue our efforts to improve the connectivity of our country."

She also noted that Hermes attended, together with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the recently held Berlin Tourism Fair.

"This year, as every year, we will participate in the Routes Europe event to be held in Seville, Spain, from 8 to 10 April, which gives airports and airlines the opportunity to discuss possible partnerships," she concluded.