What’s On The Horizon For: Hermes Airports

Speaking to Routes in Bahrain during Routes World 2024 Hermes Airports, the operator of Larnaka and Pafos airports in Cyprus, discussed its recent efforts to overcome a seasonal imbalance and key targets for growth.

Hermes Airports achieved a record-breaking 11.6 million passengers in 2023, fully recovering from the pandemic. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with projected traffic reaching 12.2 million passengers by the end of 2024. The forecast follows a strong performance in early 2024, with 6.6 million passengers traveling through Cyprus’ airports from January to July and a 5.7% year-over-year increase in August.

The operator credits its success to expanding destinations and increasing frequencies on existing routes. Recent and upcoming service additions include Wizz Air’s new year-round Larnaka-Milan route, operating 3X-weekly from September, and LOT Polish Airlines’ direct flights from Larnaka to Warsaw, which started in October with 4X-weekly winter flights, increasing to six in the summer.

Royal Jordanian has also introduced a new Pafos-Amman route, while easyJet added Nantes to its summer schedule and commenced a Larnaka-Amsterdam service in October 2024.

Maria Kouroupi, director of aviation development, marketing and communication at Hermes Airports, told Routes the importance of increasing year-round operations to reduce seasonality. “An important development in the last few years, which is very important to us, is seeing growth during the winter period,” she said.

Hermes Airports, in collaboration with Cyprus’ tourism authority, has worked to position the island as a year-round destination. These efforts have added 300,000 additional seats for the current winter season.

Looking ahead, Hermes Airports aims to bridge connectivity gaps with European capitals such as Brussels, Lisbon, and Madrid, while also targeting growth in the German and Polish markets.

Kouroupi noted ambitions to reach long-haul destinations, particularly in the U.S. and Asia, with India identified as a near-term goal.
Expanding awareness of recent success and route opportunities, Hermes Airports upload potential services and latest developments to its Routes 360 profile.