Larnaca and Paphos airports top European rankings for direct flight connectivity growth as Cyprus moves towards establishing year-round tourism, with passenger numbers expected to exceed 13.5 million this year.
Record arrivals, increased flight schedules and more airlines choosing Cyprus illustrate how the country is heading towards new heights, not only during the summer period but also in winter.
Tourism authorities have always envisioned extending the tourist season, but today the discussion extends beyond a few additional months of hotel operations to encompass year-round tourism.
Data clearly shows this trend, with recent records collected by philenews set not only in the summer season but also during the winter period, which for many years was considered touristically “dead” for Cyprus.
This appears to have changed, as the country’s airports and air connectivity have strengthened to such a degree that they allow hoteliers and other tourism professionals to plan ahead for upgrading the tourist product during winter months.
According to the June ACI Europe “Air Connectivity Report 2025”, Larnaca and Paphos airports rank first among European airports regarding the growth rate of direct air connectivity expressed in flight numbers and destinations. The increase rate for 2025 compared to 2024 amounts to 18%.
Simultaneously, Cypriot airports rank second among European countries in increased direct air connectivity for 2025 versus 2019, with this percentage reaching 22%.
In August 2024, passengers exceeded 1.6 million for the first time, whilst this August is expected to set a new record. Estimates indicate this year’s passenger traffic will exceed 13.5 million passengers.
Currently, 58 airlines operate 158 routes to 39 countries. This year, 11 new routes from Larnaca and 4 from Paphos have started, of which 8 are year-round.
New Larnaca routes include Haifa, Barcelona, Timisoara, Venice, Tirana, Riyadh, Skopje, Dublin, Sibiu, Sandefjord, and Suceava. New Paphos routes are Yerevan, Düsseldorf, Haifa, and Lyon.
New airlines this year include Larnaca operators Saudia, Air Haifa, SkyUp, Animawings, and DAN Air, whilst Paphos welcomed Air Haifa, FlyOne, and WizzAir.
Airline seats for winter 2025-26 total 4.7 million. Winter 2024-25 seats versus winter 2019-20 increased by over 1.1 million, representing growth exceeding 40%.
The top 15 airlines carry approximately 75% of total passengers to and from Larnaca and Paphos airports: Wizz Air, Ryanair, Aegean Airlines, easyJet, TUI Group, Jet2.com, British Airways, Cyprus Airways, Sky Express, El Al Israel Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Israir Airlines, SunClass Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Arkia Israeli Airlines.
Hermes Airports Director of Aeronautical Development, Marketing and Communications Maria Kouroupi, speaking to philenews, emphasised that steadily increasing passenger numbers confirm the company’s strategy for strengthening Cyprus connectivity.
The agreements concluded with airlines are already bearing fruit, resulting in a balanced flight programme and types of airlines operating in the Cypriot market.
Kouroupi noted that Hermes Airports’ long-term goal remains securing year-round connectivity so Cyprus maintains uninterrupted presence on European aeronautical maps.
Priority involves introducing new routes to important European cities currently lacking direct connections, further strengthening the country’s position in the aviation sector.
Read more: