What’s On The Horizon For: Hermes Airports

Speaking to Routes during Routes Europe 2025 Hermes Airports, the operator of Larnaka and Pafos airports in Cyprus, discussed its recent progress to overcome a seasonal imbalance and key priorities for air service growth.

Hermes Airports, the operator of Cyprus’ Larnaka (LCA) and Pafos (PFO) airports, handled 8.6 million passengers in 2024, a 6% year-over-year increase. In the first half of 2025, combined traffic across Larnaka and Pafos exceeded 5.6 million passengers, up 11% compared to the same period last year. The growth reflects rising travel demand and Cyprus’ increasing appeal as a winter destination.

For the summer 2025 season, Hermes Airports is offering more than 150 routes operated by 55 airlines to 39 countries. At LCA, new routes include Riyadh with Saudia, Venice with Cyprus Airways and Rome with Aegean Airlines. SkyUp Airlines has also resumed service, with five new destinations across Central and Eastern Europe launching in June.

Wizz Air will expand further from Larnaka later this year with new routes to Barcelona, Chisinau, Tirana, Suceava and Timisoara, while at PFO, new services in 2025 include Transavia’s weekly flight to Lyon, and a route to Yerevan set to begin in October.

Speaking at Routes Europe 2025 in Seville, Maria Kouroupi, Hermes Airports’ director of aviation development, marketing and communication, outlined the company’s three core priorities for the remainder of the year.

“A key focus is to close gaps across unserved markets, such as Spain, and enhance hub connectivity, such as Brussels,” Kouroupi said. “Secondly, Hermes Airports plans to continuously increase frequencies and penetrate existing markets with sustainable route offerings.”

A third priority involves building year-round demand. Hermes is working with tourism stakeholders to grow winter visitation. Winter traffic during the 2024-25 season increased by 8%—the strongest winter performance in Cyprus’ history—with off-peak travel now accounting for 25% of total annual passengers.

Hermes also used its presence at Routes Europe to highlight ongoing infrastructure developments at both airports. Once completed, the expansions will increase total system capacity to 17 million passengers annually.

At Pafos, terminal capacity will grow by 30% to accommodate up to 5 million passengers per year. The airport’s southern parallel taxiway is also being extended to improve operational flexibility. At Larnaka, capacity will increase to 12.4 million passengers, supported by a new security and immigration area, along with expanded aircraft parking.

Hermes says the upgrades are designed to support continued growth in both scheduled air service and inbound tourism as Cyprus strengthens its position as a year-round destination.

At Routes Europe, Hermes Airports held a competition on its exhibition stand with a winning prize of travel vouchers to encourage the route development industry to experience the attraction of Cyprus for themselves. As a Routes 360 member, the group also showcases its growth potential, latest development and unserved route opportunities across the community.