Pafos International Airport Targets European Air Connectivity Growth

Pafos International Airport (PFO) in Cyprus, operated by Hermes Airports recorded passenger growth in 2024, as the airport handled 3.6 million passengers with a 2% increase compared to last year.

A second phase of expansion at PFO is now underway, with completion expected within 27 months. The development will increase the capacity of the airport terminal by approximately 30% and raise the airport's annual passenger capacity to 5 million.

A key focus for Hermes Airports is establishing sustainable, year-round connectivity. While the winter season now accounts for 25% of total traffic—a notable improvement in recent years—there is still significant room for growth.

To address this, Hermes Airports is collaborating closely with tourism stakeholders across the island. In January 2025, the company organized the conference titled “Beyond Sea and Sun,” bringing together airlines, tourism bodies, government representatives, and municipal authorities to explore strategies for transforming Cyprus into a truly year-round destination. Moreover, for the fifth consecutive year, Hermes Airports, in collaboration with local stakeholders, has successfully launched a digital marketing campaign aimed at raising awareness of the region and promoting Cyprus as a destination. With the support of Hermes Airports, airlines also launch targeted campaigns to stimulate demand and promote the destination.

Carriers are enhancing their presence at the airport. Ryanair has launched flights to Düsseldorf Weeze, while Fly One has also begun operations by offering daily flights to Yerevan for the summer season, with plans to continue during the winter months. At the same time, all the Israeli carriers are resuming operation from/to Israel.

For the upcoming winter season, Wizz Air will introduce 2X-weekly direct flights from Pafos to the Armenian capital Yerevan, starting in October. At the same time there is a projected increase in the supplied capacity on various served routes.

With planned infrastructure growth, increased passenger demand and inbound tourism efforts, PFO has uploaded multiple route opportunities on its Routes 360 profile to enhance air connectivity.

Opportunities include:

Spain: Spain is one of the few markets in Europe with limited direct operation from Cyprus, despite the significant indirect demand estimated to 53,000 passengers traveling between Cyprus and Spain with an intermediate stop. Madrid and Barcelona are leading this demand, whereas Madrid is the most popular unserved destination in number of searches from both ends with respect to the future demand. There is demand from both ends for both leisure and VFR purposes, whereas a direct operation would help to stimulate the total traffic significantly. The majority are first time visitors with an average 7-8 days of stay in Cyprus.

Germany: The German market is amongst the top five markets for Cyprus, with significant increase during the last few years, and still with potential for growth. The market consists of primarily inbound travellers, visiting the island for leisure, whereas there is year-round demand, with peaks during the summer period and during the shoulder months. More than half of the direct traffic concern ages between 26-45, with an average stay of 8 – 10 days in Cyprus. Other than sun and sea, people are visiting Cyprus for history and culture, city tours, entertainment and others, while the preferred accommodation is 4-5* hotels. Currently there are 140k total passengers traveling to/from several German airports with one intermediate stop. The growth could come through increase of frequencies on the already served destinations, such as Berlin, Cologne, and Dusseldorf, and the introduction of new routes such as Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Nuremberg.

UK: PFO area is especially popular for the UK market with half of the airport’s traffic originating from the United Kingdom. London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham are amongst the most popular destinations from Paphos with significant indirect demand, whereas other destinations with currently limited direct connectivity, such as Belfast, could grow further. The majority of the traffic concerns inbound leisure visitors, whereas there is a significant British community in Paphos area who travel to the UK for visiting friends and relatives. The average stay is estimated for both inbound and outbound travel to 10 days, whereas the average ages vary between 45 and 65 years old. 

Italy: Italy is one of the markets with the highest growth during the last years, with most of the routes being in a radius 2.5-3.5-hour flight time from/to Pafos. More than 100k total passengers travelled with one intermediary stop during the year with Rome and Milan positioned high on the list, followed by Venice, Bologna, Naples and Pisa. Italy is one of the preferred markets for the Cypriot residents traveling for leisure, especially during the winter season, with an average 5 days of stay. Still there is scope for developing the inbound traffic, as the Italians are interested in sun and sea and history and culture, whereas their preferred accommodation is 1-3* and 5* hotels. Overall, the traffic from both ends is dominated by younger ages.

Unserved:

• Copenhagen (GLA)
• Bologna Airport (BLQ)
• Madrid Airport (MAD)
• Leipzig Airport (LEJ)

Underserved:

• Glasgow Airport (GLA)
• Cologne Airport (CGN)
• Budapest Airport (BUD)
• Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
• Tallinn Airport (TLL)
• Dusseldorf Airport (DUS)
• Berlin Brandenberg Airport (BER)
• Belfast International Airport (BFS)

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