RIMINI, Italy—Hermes Airports is pushing ahead with plans to diversify Cyprus’ air connectivity despite geopolitical instability in the Eastern Mediterranean and wider industry uncertainty tied to fuel costs and shifting travel demand.
The operator of Larnaka and Pafos airports says it continues to see opportunities for network growth following a record year for passenger traffic, with airlines adding new routes across Europe and beyond.
“Despite operating in a challenging, highly competitive and often unpredictable environment—most recently shaped by developments in our wider region—we continue to actively grow and enhance Cyprus’ air connectivity,” Maria Kouroupi, Hermes Airports' director of aviation development, marketing and communication, tells Aviation Week.
At Larnaka Airport, Wizz Air recently announced a new Madrid route, building on the launch of Barcelona service and strengthening Cyprus’ links with Spain. The ULCC is also expanding its year-round presence with routes including Venice, Bratislava, Timișoara and Gyumri, while planning to restore services to destinations such as Athens, Tirana, Skopje and Varna before the end of the summer season.
Germany remains another major focus area for Cyprus. Discover Airlines has launched year-round Frankfurt and Munich service, while Aegean Airlines expanded operations with a Brussels route introduced in late 2025 offering up to 5X-weekly flights.
Looking further east, Kazakhstan’s Air Astana is scheduled to enter the Cyprus market during summer 2026 with seasonal flights from Astana and Almaty. “This marks the first long-haul connectivity for Cyprus and represents an important milestone in market diversification,” Kouroupi adds.
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At Pafos Airport, the UK remains the largest source market, with Jet2.com recently adding a 2X-weekly London Gatwick route. Ryanair continues expanding connectivity with Poland, now the airport’s second-largest market, while Lufthansa and Aegean have also increased services.
Looking ahead, Kouroupi says Hermes is targeting a mix of underserved European markets and longer-haul opportunities. Germany remains a key priority, with cities including Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg, Nuremberg and Stuttgart identified as potential additions beyond the already-served Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich markets.
Italy is also emerging as a significant opportunity. According to the group, more than 100,000 indirect passengers currently travel annually between Cyprus and Italy, supporting the case for additional nonstop routes.
Ireland and Portugal are also viewed as promising growth markets, particularly for leisure and VFR traffic, while India is increasingly being considered a future long-haul opportunity tied to growing business links between the two countries.
However, the operator acknowledged that geopolitical developments have recently created additional pressure on demand and booking patterns. “At Hermes Airports, we view 2026 as a year of both resilience and recalibration,” Kouroupi says.
She adds that the company responded quickly to recent regional instability by coordinating closely with airlines and introducing targeted incentives aimed at supporting load factors and preserving connectivity.
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