Passenger traffic at Larnaca and Paphos airports hit an all-time high for September, with 1.4 million passengers, marking a 7% increase compared to the same month last year.

In an announcement by Hermes Airports, it was stated that "September concluded on a positive note regarding passenger traffic at Cyprus's two airports, as 1.4 million passengers traveled to and from Larnaca and Paphos airports, further boosting the upward trend of this year."

"Compared to September 2023, passenger traffic increased by 7%, and this year's September performance set a record for the month," the announcement added.

It was also noted that "for Larnaca Airport, the top destinations were the United Kingdom, Greece, Israel, Poland, and Germany. Similarly, for Paphos Airport, the majority of passengers came from the United Kingdom, Greece, Poland, Israel, and France."

Moreover, "the upward trend in passenger traffic continued throughout the entire nine-month period. Specifically, between January and September, a total of 9.5 million passengers passed through Cyprus's two airports, registering a 5% increase compared to the same period last year."

As for October, the flight schedule is expected to remain steady, with around 1,000 flights per week, while the outlook for the upcoming winter season is also very positive.

"More specifically, for the November to March period, an additional 300,000 seats have been added compared to the corresponding period last year, which had already seen an increase," the statement continued.

Hermes Airports' Director of Aviation Development, Marketing, and Communications, Maria Kouroupi, highlighted the importance of maintaining strong growth prospects and investing in year-round connectivity, which she emphasized would bring multiple benefits to the country.

However, due to the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, cancellations from Israel have occurred for October, according to Thanos Michaelides, President of the Cyprus Hotel Association. He expressed the concerns of hotel owners, adding that there has also been a slowdown in bookings from Europe for 2025.

In a statement, Mr. Michaelides explained that the cancellations cannot be recovered. As for the observed slowdown in bookings for next year, he noted that Cyprus risks losing out on early bird bookings. These early bookings, he explained, are typically made to take advantage of reduced prices on holiday packages.

Regarding occupancy rates for September, Mr. Michaelides said that last month closed with an 80% occupancy rate, showing satisfactory visitor numbers. "We had quite a few last-minute bookings," which kept occupancy at satisfactory levels, he said. However, he added that while expectations for October were high, "a number of overnight stays were lost due to the crisis in Israel," and these, he stated, cannot be recovered.