Hermes Airports returned from the CONNECT 2026 route-development forum in Lublin with what executives describe as “the strongest pipeline of new capacity since the pandemic.” According to Director of Aviation Development Maria Kouroupi, the company’s team conducted 20 pre-scheduled meetings with carriers ranging from legacy giants to low-cost challengers and niche leisure operators. Several airlines, she said, have already filed for additional slots at Larnaca and Paphos for the May-to-October high season, while others are considering year-round service for the first time. (kiprinform.com)
The upbeat tone contrasts sharply with the cautious sentiment that prevailed only a year ago, when escalating fuel prices and conflict-related air-space closures forced capacity cuts on eastern Mediterranean routes. This time, forward bookings from the United Kingdom, Poland, Scandinavia and Switzerland are running “double-digit percentages” ahead of last year’s pace, Hermes reports, with emerging markets such as Spain and Italy showing “promising momentum.” (kiprinform.com)
Route planners attribute the surge to a combination of factors: the weaker euro, pent-up demand for sunshine destinations among northern Europeans after a wet winter, and the Cypriot government’s coordinated marketing blitz that bundles off-peak hotel discounts with sports and gastronomy packages. The airport operator is also dangling incentive schemes—waived landing fees for first-year services and joint promotion budgets—to encourage carriers to extend seasonal routes into the shoulder months. (kiprinform.com)
![Hermes Airports says airline talks at CONNECT 2026 signal bumper summer for Cyprus]()
Before you finalize those summer travel plans, remember that passport and visa requirements can catch even seasoned flyers off guard. VisaHQ’s user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) lets you instantly verify whether you need a visa for Cyprus, generates a customized document checklist, and can even manage group or corporate applications—saving valuable time as new flight options come online.
For corporate mobility managers the developments mean greater seat availability, a broader mix of departure airports and, potentially, sharper fares as incumbent airlines defend market share. Hermes says negotiations are ongoing with two Gulf carriers about restoring a daily link to the Middle East’s biggest hub, a move that would reopen one-stop connections to Asia-Pacific expatriate communities. Business-travel stakeholders are urging companies to lock in ticket blocks early, noting that hotels in Limassol and Nicosia are already reporting occupancy above 80 percent for June conferences.
If even half of the discussed routes materialise, Cyprus could surpass the 11.6 million passenger movements handled in record-setting 2019—an achievement that would reinforce the island’s bid to position itself as a year-round aviation and business hub at the south-eastern edge of the European Union.
The upbeat tone contrasts sharply with the cautious sentiment that prevailed only a year ago, when escalating fuel prices and conflict-related air-space closures forced capacity cuts on eastern Mediterranean routes. This time, forward bookings from the United Kingdom, Poland, Scandinavia and Switzerland are running “double-digit percentages” ahead of last year’s pace, Hermes reports, with emerging markets such as Spain and Italy showing “promising momentum.” (kiprinform.com)
Route planners attribute the surge to a combination of factors: the weaker euro, pent-up demand for sunshine destinations among northern Europeans after a wet winter, and the Cypriot government’s coordinated marketing blitz that bundles off-peak hotel discounts with sports and gastronomy packages. The airport operator is also dangling incentive schemes—waived landing fees for first-year services and joint promotion budgets—to encourage carriers to extend seasonal routes into the shoulder months. (kiprinform.com)
Before you finalize those summer travel plans, remember that passport and visa requirements can catch even seasoned flyers off guard. VisaHQ’s user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) lets you instantly verify whether you need a visa for Cyprus, generates a customized document checklist, and can even manage group or corporate applications—saving valuable time as new flight options come online.
For corporate mobility managers the developments mean greater seat availability, a broader mix of departure airports and, potentially, sharper fares as incumbent airlines defend market share. Hermes says negotiations are ongoing with two Gulf carriers about restoring a daily link to the Middle East’s biggest hub, a move that would reopen one-stop connections to Asia-Pacific expatriate communities. Business-travel stakeholders are urging companies to lock in ticket blocks early, noting that hotels in Limassol and Nicosia are already reporting occupancy above 80 percent for June conferences.
If even half of the discussed routes materialise, Cyprus could surpass the 11.6 million passenger movements handled in record-setting 2019—an achievement that would reinforce the island’s bid to position itself as a year-round aviation and business hub at the south-eastern edge of the European Union.
