The Daleela ferry resumes its Cyprus-Greece connection on Saturday, departing from Limassol for Piraeus in the first of 22 scheduled crossings this summer.

Now in its fourth consecutive season, the passenger and vehicle ferry remains the only maritime link between the two countries, and demand appears to be holding firm.

The 2025 service was jointly announced earlier this week by Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis and operator Scandro Holding Ltd, following the cabinet’s decision last August to extend the government contract through 2027.

According to the minister, the ferry relaunch was one of the deputy ministry’s key initiatives, aimed at offering the public a reliable and inclusive alternative to air travel.

“This service offers significant support to those who struggle with air travel, whether due to medical reasons, age, or a fear of flying,” she said, noting that it is classified as a service of general economic interest and receives €5.5 million in annual support.

The vessel is set to depart Limassol shortly after midday, carrying 187 passengers, 66 vehicles, 36 motorcycles and 8 pets.

Cyprus’ industrial production index rose by 1.9 per cent in March 2025 compared with the same month last year, according to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

The index reached 109.8 units, while for the first quarter of 2025, production increased by 3.8 per cent year-on-year.

Manufacturing output was up by 2.1 per cent in March. Positive contributions also came from mining and quarrying, which increased by 5.4 per cent, electricity supply by 0.7 per cent, and water supply and materials recovery by 0.6 per cent.

Within the manufacturing sector, the strongest year-on-year growth was seen in the production of electronic and optical products and electrical equipment, which rose by 9.4 per cent.

This was followed by wood and cork products (excluding furniture), up by 6.8 per cent, and other non-metallic mineral products, which rose by 5.8 per cent.

Mining and quarrying recorded the strongest increase in output prices in April 2025, rising by 7.4 per cent year-on-year, while water supply and materials recovery saw the sharpest drop, down by 5.3 per cent, according to official data released on Friday by the Statistical Service.

The Index of Industrial Output Prices rose by 0.2 per cent in April, reaching 122.2 units, based on 2021 as the reference year set at 100 points.

Compared to March 2025, the increase mirrored the annual growth, with the index also up by 0.2 per cent year-on-year.

However, for the period January to April 2025, the index marked a slight decline of 0.1 per cent compared with the same period in 2024.

In terms of monthly changes, the manufacturing sector recorded an increase of 0.5 per cent. Mining and quarrying remained stable, while water supply and materials recovery fell by 3.7 per cent.

Cyprus recorded a general government surplus of €646.8 million in the first four months of 2025, according to preliminary fiscal data published by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) on Friday.

The surplus corresponds to 1.8 per cent of GDP, marginally lower than the €650.5m surplus, or 1.9 per cent of GDP, recorded during the same period in 2024.

Total revenue from January to April 2025 rose by €243m or 5.3 per cent year-on-year, reaching €4.82 billion, compared with €4.58 billion in the corresponding period of 2024.

Revenue from taxes on income and wealth increased by 8.3 per cent to €1.17bl, up from €1,08bl.

Social contributions also rose significantly, reaching €1.57bl, an increase of 9.4 per cent compared with €1.43bl last year.

Income from the sale of goods and services grew by 24.1 per cent to €369.7m, while property income more than doubled to €84.7m, compared with €31m in 2024.