This year's passenger traffic at Larnaka and Paphos airports has exceeded 12 million people, Hermes Airports said Friday in a press release.

"A new historical milestone has been achieved for the international airports of Larnaka and Paphos, as today, Friday, December 20, passenger traffic exceeded 12 million total passengers for the first time", it notes.

It is added that this achievement comes after a period of significant challenges in tourism and air transport due to the pandemic and various geopolitical developments.

"The milestone of 12 million passengers is a practical demonstration of the confidence and momentum that our country has as a destination and confirms the resilience of the tourism sector in Cyprus”, it is added.

According to the announcement, “from the first day that Hermes Airports took over the management of the Cypriot airports, it has been implementing a systematic and targeted strategy to strengthen the connectivity of Cyprus, which has yielded significant results since there is a steady expansion of air connections by attracting new airlines, expanding the destination network and significantly increasing passenger traffic.”

Today, the air connectivity of Cyprus has not only improved significantly, but has also established itself at a very strong and competitive level, it adds.

Minister of Transport satisfied over record passenger traffic in 2024

The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Alexis Vafeades, expressed his satisfaction, as passenger traffic at airports exceeded 12 million passengers for the first time, with 2024 being a record year for passenger traffic.

As noted in a press release from the Ministry, compared to 2023, this year is expected to see a 5.3% increase in passengers.

Despite the challenges in the geopolitical environment and the turbulence in the wider Middle East region, Cyprus continues its positive trend in arrivals this year, while the increase in arrivals during the winter months reinforces the strategy to promote the island as a year-round destination, the Ministry notes.

"The solid foundations, the adaptability and resilience shown by the Republic of Cyprus in managing the crises, as well as the professionalism and capabilities of our partners, prove the resilience of the sector and allow its dynamic growth, while the significant progress made in recent years in improving the tourism product and in managing the pandemic crisis has established our country as an important destination in the Mediterranean region", the Ministry concludes.