Cyprus has long struggled to maintain direct air connectivity with Brussels ever since the collapse of Cyprus Airways a decade ago forced travellers to make laborious connections via other European hubs. That bottleneck is finally easing after Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades on 28 November signed a Public-Service Obligation (PSO) contract with Aegean Airlines that guarantees non-stop Larnaca–Brussels flights for a full year, from 1 December 2025 through 30 November 2026.
Under the €4.7 million deal the carrier will operate three weekly rotations during December, ramping up to five per week in the first half of 2026 to cope with the heavy traffic expected during Cyprus’ EU Council Presidency. The contract caps fully-flexible economy fares at €400 one-way (including a 23 kg bag and inflight meal) and allows Aegean to scale frequencies down to two per week in the late-summer shoulder, mirroring seasonal demand.
![Larnaca–Brussels Route Secured Through Year-Round Public-Service Contract]()
Business stakeholders have welcomed the move. Government officials, lobbyists and multinational executives say the direct link will shave at least four hours off door-to-door journey times compared with itineraries that currently require a connection in Athens, Vienna or London. Chambers of commerce predict the predictable service will also encourage Brussels-based associations to bring meetings and small conferences to Cyprus—part of a wider strategy to build the island’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.
From an airline-economics viewpoint the PSO model de-risks the route for Aegean by underwriting minimum revenues while imposing a fare ceiling that prevents price-gouging at peak times. Similar schemes have successfully protected thin but strategic routes for Malta, Luxembourg and several Scandinavian regions. Aegean plans to deploy 174-seat Airbus A320neos equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi and 15 tonnes of belly-cargo capacity—good news for Cypriot exporters of halloumi and pharmaceuticals who value overnight freight access to EU institutions.
For global-mobility and relocation managers the message is clear: officials and expatriate staff posted to Brussels can now count on a reliable, year-round non-stop flight, simplifying duty-of-care planning and reducing travel time. Ticket sales opened immediately after signature, with first-week load-factors already topping 60 percent—evidence, say officials, of just how keen the market is for a direct link to the heart of the EU.
Under the €4.7 million deal the carrier will operate three weekly rotations during December, ramping up to five per week in the first half of 2026 to cope with the heavy traffic expected during Cyprus’ EU Council Presidency. The contract caps fully-flexible economy fares at €400 one-way (including a 23 kg bag and inflight meal) and allows Aegean to scale frequencies down to two per week in the late-summer shoulder, mirroring seasonal demand.
Business stakeholders have welcomed the move. Government officials, lobbyists and multinational executives say the direct link will shave at least four hours off door-to-door journey times compared with itineraries that currently require a connection in Athens, Vienna or London. Chambers of commerce predict the predictable service will also encourage Brussels-based associations to bring meetings and small conferences to Cyprus—part of a wider strategy to build the island’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.
From an airline-economics viewpoint the PSO model de-risks the route for Aegean by underwriting minimum revenues while imposing a fare ceiling that prevents price-gouging at peak times. Similar schemes have successfully protected thin but strategic routes for Malta, Luxembourg and several Scandinavian regions. Aegean plans to deploy 174-seat Airbus A320neos equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi and 15 tonnes of belly-cargo capacity—good news for Cypriot exporters of halloumi and pharmaceuticals who value overnight freight access to EU institutions.
For global-mobility and relocation managers the message is clear: officials and expatriate staff posted to Brussels can now count on a reliable, year-round non-stop flight, simplifying duty-of-care planning and reducing travel time. Ticket sales opened immediately after signature, with first-week load-factors already topping 60 percent—evidence, say officials, of just how keen the market is for a direct link to the heart of the EU.
