Expansion projects worth €170 million aim to boost capacity at both hubs

Cyprus’ airports reached record-breaking levels of passenger traffic in August, with a combined 1.8 million travellers recorded at Larnaca and Paphos.

According to figures released on Monday by Hermes Airports, this marks an increase from 1.6 million passengers during the same month in 2024.

The data also show that for the fifth month in a row, traffic across the island’s airports has exceeded the one million passenger mark.

At Larnaca airport, traffic climbed to 1.3 million passengers compared with 1.2 million in August 2024.

At Paphos airport, the figure rose to 501,100 passengers from 439,900 a year earlier.

By contrast, in August 2019, passenger numbers at Larnaca stood at 1.1 million while Paphos registered 376,100, highlighting the strong rebound above pre-pandemic levels.

For the first eight months of 2025, overall passenger traffic across Cyprus’ airports reached 9.2 million.

Of these, 6.6 million passengers travelled through Larnaca and 2.5 million through Paphos.

Passenger traffic for the full year of 2024 had already reached a record 12.3 million.

That represented an increase of 5.6 per cent compared with 2023 and a 9.1 per cent rise compared with 2019.

Airport expansion works underway

As announced earlier this year, construction began in March on the second phase of the development programme for Cyprus’ airports, at a total cost of €170 million.

The foundation stone for the project was laid by president Nikos Christodoulides in June during a ceremony organised by Hermes Airports.

At Larnaca, the expansion will cover around 20,000 square metres and will include a new wing with additional arrival and departure gates linked to the main terminal, new baggage claim belts, a new area for passport control and security checks, an enlarged commercial space, and expanded aircraft parking capacity.

At Paphos, the works will increase the terminal’s capacity by about 30 per cent, significantly improving passenger experience as well as the efficiency of processes and controls.

The project also includes the extension of the southern parallel taxiway, enhancing the airport’s operational flexibility.

Once completed, the upgrades will raise Larnaca’s annual capacity to 12.4 million passengers and Paphos’ to 5 million.

The expansion is expected to take 30 months at Larnaca and 27 months at Paphos.

Tourist arrivals in July

Earlier this summer, the statistical service reported that tourist arrivals in Cyprus rose by 6.9 per cent in July 2025, reaching 589,116 visitors.

This increase contributed to an overall rise of 10.4 per cent for the first seven months of the year, with total arrivals reaching 2,432,129.

The UK remained the top source market during this time, followed by Israel and Poland.

The Netherlands, Poland and Romania saw significant growth in arrivals, while Greece and Sweden recorded notable declines.

The majority of tourists, 85.5 per cent, visited for holidays. Additionally, the number of Cypriot residents returning from abroad increased by 9.1 per cent in July.

Tourism revenue in June

Meanwhile, Cyprus’ tourism revenue for June 2025 rose by 9.6 per cent to €422.3 million, with spending per person also increasing by six per cent.

According to the state statistical service, revenue for the first half of the year reached €1.38 billion, a 21.3 per cent increase from the previous year.

This strong performance followed a record-breaking 2024, which saw over four million visitors.

Arrivals for the first half of the year increased by 11.5 per cent, continuing the positive trend..