Aegean Airlines Chairman underline’s company’s faith in Cyprus’ potential

Sharing the goal of establishing Cyprus as a year-round destination, Aegean Airlines will be further strengthening its presence on the island.

Speaking at a recent Hermes Airports conference, the airline’s Chairman, Eftichios Vassilakis, spoke about the role of air connectivity in attracting quality tourism.

He also addressed Aegean’'s development strategy in Cyprus, which includes the new direct flight between Larnaca and Rome—contributing to the further improvement of the country's air connectivity.

At the same time, Vassilakis announced investments aimed at enhancing the customer experience, such as the new Aegean lounge. He emphasised that the airline has now become a valuable partner and ally in making Cyprus a year-round destination.

This was precisely the goal behind Hermes Airports' initiative to launch this important dialogue and initiate a meaningful discussion within the framework of government policy to upgrade and strengthen the tourism offering—so that Cyprus becomes an attractive, all-season destination. What Hermes Airports achieved, and what was welcomed by all, was bringing together all the key market players in the same room.

Authenticity is key

In his speech, Vassilakis shared his perspective on the discussion around the tourism model Cyprus should adopt—beyond just "sun and sea." He stated that the goal must be the authenticity of the experience. As he explained, travelers are looking for something different—something less standardised—and they definitely want to live an experience, not just receive a service.

To achieve this, the destination needs to offer a unique identity and authentic elements that set it apart.

To achieve this goal, he emphasised the need to form partnerships and alliances, so that in a coordinated manner and each stakeholder, on their side, serves and preserves the authenticity of the experience. And Cyprus, he indicated, has all the conditions to achieve this.

He added that Cyprus possesses these elements and the capability to become a standout destination, provided the right steps are taken to highlight its distinctiveness and quality.

Vassilakis clarified that in this effort, the airline is certainly not the one taking the lead, as the passenger is not simply buying an air trip, but an overall experience in the destination they are visiting.

He added: "The airline is the one that will facilitate, save money or seal the passenger's experience in a destination, but it is certainly not the reason why they will travel. That is why we at Aegean systematically invest so that the travel experience responds to the destination and the hospitality culture of our people. Just as we invest in cooperation with the tourism market and local bodies."

Aegean, which completed 25 years of successful operation in 2024, has been operating in Cyprus for the last 21 years, while, since 2015, it has maintained a base at Larnaka Airport, where three aircraft of its fleet are currently based. Over time, it has transported more than 12 million passengers to and from Cyprus, through direct scheduled and charter flights.

The company connects Cyprus with more than 162 destinations worldwide via Athens and Thessaloniki.

From April, the company has been further strengthening its presence on the island, as well as the connectivity of Cyprus, with the launch of a new, direct route between Larnaka Airport and the Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) hub airport in Rome. The company will operate three weekly flights during the summer season, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Aegean intends to maintain the route during the following winter season, further strengthening tourism on the island throughout the year.

With the inclusion of the new route and the increase in its activity on the routes already served by operating the flights almost exclusively with the larger Airbus A321neo aircraft, Aegean plans to increase its capacity by 22% in 2025 compared to 2024, offering a total of 1.44 million seats to and from Cyprus.

At the same time, in June 2024, as part of strengthening its presence in Cyprus, Aegean inaugurated its new Business Lounge at Larnaka "Glafcos Clerides" Airport, with a total area of 345 sq m, at the departure gates, offering passengers a comprehensive and unsurpassed travel experience.

Indicative of the company's efforts to continuously improve the island's connectivity and travel experience is the fact that in 2024 Aegean recorded a significant increase in its activity to and from Cyprus, despite intense competition, as well as the geopolitical instability in the region that particularly affected the schedule of routes to and from Israel, as its Chairman Eftichios Vassilakis characteristically noted during the Hermes Airports conference.

Aegean's flight schedule for 2025 includes 250 direct scheduled and charter flights (55 domestic and 195 international), to 162 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, from and to the company's seven bases in Greece and abroad with a fleet of 83 aircraft, including the new Airbus A320 and A321 neo.

The Greek carrier's fleet is expected to be further strengthened, as AEGEAN proceeded with the order of eight new aircraft, extending for the third time the initial agreement it had concluded with Airbus in 2018, reaching a total of 58 aircraft, of which 37 will be A321neo and 4 of them will be Airbus A321neo LR (Long Range) with significantly longer range and a new specially designed passenger cabin, to serve new destinations with flight durations of up to 7.5 hours.

Aegean is a member of the global airline alliance Star Alliance and was awarded, for the 13th consecutive year and 14th time in the last 15 years, as the best regional airline in Europe by the Skytrax World Airline Awards.

Vassilakis’ intervention at the ‘Beyond Sea and Sun’ conference, in Greek, can be viewed below:

This article first appeared in Hermes Airport’s monthly Flight Mode magazine. Click here to view it