Cyprus airports are set for another record-breaking year, with 55 airlines scheduled to operate flights to and from 158 destinations across 39 countries this summer, according to Hermes Airports’ Maria Kouroupi.

The company, which manages Larnaca and Paphos airports, expects passenger traffic in 2025 to hit 13 million, up from 12.3 million last year, marking a third consecutive all-time high.

The increase would reflect a 5.6 per cent annual rise, in line with last year’s figures.

Speaking to state-run radiostation CyBC on Monday, Kouroupi, the company’s Director of Aviation Development, Marketing and Communications, said the forecast is the result of coordinated efforts and incentives to strengthen Cyprus’ air connectivity.

She noted that this summer will bring both new routes and new airlines, supporting the upward trend in arrivals.

Despite current challenges, including geopolitical instability and market disruption linked to recent US policy developments, Cyprus remains on track for a strong tourist season.

The summer schedule, published by Hermes at the end of March, includes new direct connections from Larnaca and Paphos to Riyadh, Venice, Marseille, Düsseldorf, Lyon and Sibiu.

The Riyadh–Larnaca connection is set to begin in June and marks the first time Saudia has included Cyprus in its scheduled route network.

New airlines entering the market include AnimaWings, SkyUP — returning with a route to Chisinau — and Air Haifa, which has already launched flights to Larnaca and is expected to begin flights to Paphos soon.

Aegean is starting flights from Larnaca to Rome three times a week, with plans to operate the route year-round.

EasyJet added Amsterdam since the winter season, strengthening the existing Transavia service.

In the German market, Condor is returning with flights from Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, while Ryanair is adding a connection from Düsseldorf Weeze to Paphos.

Routes from Poland, such as Katowice, are also being reinforced.

Additional flights to and from the United Kingdom are planned for 2025, including services to Manchester, London Luton and London Gatwick.

According to Hermes, more than 11 million airline seats will be available this summer — an increase of 750,000 compared to the same period last year, or 7 per cent.

On average, the airports will handle around 145 flights per day.

The positive outlook was also reflected in Flight Mode, Hermes’ monthly digital bulletin, which noted an increase in seat capacity, new destinations, and the strengthening of existing routes.

Passenger traffic has been steadily rising since the pandemic. In 2019, Cyprus broke the 11-million barrier for the first time, reaching 11,273,748 passengers.

That figure surpassed in 2023, with 11,639,444 travellers, followed by 12,295,344 in 2024. If the 13-million estimate is met, it will mark another historic high for Cyprus airports.

It was also noted that despite the loss of the Russian and Ukrainian markets and continued uncertainty in global markets, there are currently no signs that passenger traffic or tourism to Cyprus will be affected.

The Deputy Ministry of Tourism remains optimistic, supported by airline scheduling and booking trends.