Cyprus airports welcome 50,000 passengers every day

Tourism minister shifts focus to sustainable destinations Cyprus’ airports are handling around 50,000 passengers and 325 flights every day at the height of the summer season, as authorities reopen road access to Larnaca airport’s arrivals area to ease congestion. According to Hermes Airports’ director of aviation development, marketing and communications Maria Kouroupi, Larnaca airport is currently operating approximately 230 flights daily, serving around 36,000 arriving and departing passengers each day. She added that Paphos airport is welcoming about 14,000 passengers daily across 95 flights. The figures were released as the road leading to the exits of Larnaca airport’s arrivals area reopened to private vehicles after months of restricted access. Kouroupi explained that the reopening allows private cars to enter the arrivals area for brief stops to collect passengers, while police officers are stationed on site to supervise traffic and prevent congestion. She also reminded travellers that the airport’s short-stay car park remains available at €1 for up to 20 minutes, with payment made by card on exit. According to announcements by the justice ministry and police, the arrivals access road reopened at 3pm on August 7, 2026, with the aim of improving the smooth flow of vehicles serving Larnaca airport. The ministry said the decision followed an initiative by Justice Minister Costas Fitiris, who convened a meeting to address persistent congestion around the airport. It added that the reopening became possible through intensive efforts and close cooperation between the police, the public works department and Hermes Airports, which carried out the necessary operational changes. Police also clarified that while all private vehicles may now use the arrivals road to collect passengers, taxis remain prohibited from passing through the area. Instead, taxis will continue boarding passengers exclusively from designated pick-up zones located west of the terminal buildings near the bus waiting areas. In other tourism news, Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis recently stated that the protection and sustainable management of destinations has become the sector’s greatest challenge now that Cyprus has emerged from its recent tourism crisis. Speaking after a meeting on Friday with the newly elected leadership of the Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe), Koumis said the discussion centred on both the tourism sector’s recovery and its long-term future. According to the deputy ministry, both sides expressed satisfaction with the measures taken to return tourism to a stable trajectory despite the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The meeting also examined planning for the coming years, with particular emphasis on protecting destinations, strengthening Cyprus’ air connectivity, and advancing the ambition of making the island a year-round tourism destination. “We had the opportunity to discuss a range of issues that have concerned Cyprus’ tourism sector for years, including attracting new markets, strengthening existing ones, promoting our country abroad and destination stewardship,” Koumis said. “I believe it is extremely important for the public and private sectors to invest together in destination stewardship, because there is no doubt that in the years and decades ahead the countries that succeed will be those that invested in protecting and sustainably managing every destination individually,” he added. Koumis also wished newly elected Pasyxe president Yiannos Pantazis and the rest of the board a productive term, saying their work would benefit both tourism and the country. “One of the secrets of success in tourism is flawless cooperation between the public and private sectors,” he said. Moreover, he described Pasyxe as “a historic association with 90 years of contribution to Cyprus’ tourism sector”, adding that even closer cooperation would further strengthen the industry. On his part, Pantazis said the meeting confirmed a shared belief that tourism flourishes when there is close collaboration between the public and private sectors. “It was confirmed that tourism prospers when there is strong cooperation between the public and private sectors,” Pantazis said. He added that both sides had agreed to intensify their contacts over the coming months. Looking ahead, he said the association was already working towards restoring the sector’s performance in 2027 to the levels achieved in 2025.