Airlines have expressed their intention to expand their flight schedules to Cyprus in 2027, according to a statement issued by Hermes Airports following its participation in Routes World 2026, while also noting that October saw a 3% decline in passenger traffic at Larnaca and Paphos airports.
According to Hermes Airports, the company participated in Routes World 2026, the most important event for the development of air connectivity, which was held in Frankfurt from October 21and 23, holding more than 30 meetings with airlines. He notes that discussions focused on the 2026–2027 winter season, as well as the airlines’ planning for both 2027 and the years to come.
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“The discussions with the airlines highlighted the pressures facing the industry, mainly due to rising fuel costs, which affect both demand and the airlines’ profitability,” he notes, emphasizing that “despite the challenges, Cyprus continues to maintain a positive outlook, with Hermes Airports’ airline partners expressing their intention to expand their flight schedules and pursue further growth in 2027.”
At the same time, according to the announcement, a significant challenge for airlines is the ever-shorter timeframe between booking and travel, which has now been reduced to 3–4 weeks. “This trend, which is evident across a large number of destinations worldwide, complicates flight scheduling and operational decision-making. At the same time, fluctuations in demand, combined with the need to boost Cyprus’s visibility in specific markets, continue to affect the viability of certain routes,” adds Hermes Airports.
According to the announcement, the airlines, for their part, expressed particular interest in a substantial extension of the winter season, “provided that Cyprus continues to enrich its tourism product and offer attractive experiences throughout the year.”
In a related development, “with regard to passenger traffic, according to data from Hermes Airports, October closed with a total of 1.43 million passengers passing through Larnaca and Paphos airports, marking a 3% decrease compared to the same month last year.”
Despite this slight decline, Hermes Airports estimates—as it states—that 2026 will close with approximately 13.3 million total passengers and a decrease of about 3% compared to 2025, the year that recorded the highest passenger traffic in history, “confirming Cyprus’s enduring appeal as a tourist and aviation destination.”
