Cyprus’ twin international gateways—Larnaca and Paphos—handled a combined 10.7 million passengers between January and September 2025, setting a new record for the country’s aviation sector, according to data released by operator Hermes Airports. The figures, published on 27 October, show six consecutive months with traffic above one million travellers, underscoring the island’s post-pandemic rebound and its growing appeal as a near-shore corporate hub.
Larnaca Airport processed 7.7 million passengers in the nine-month period, an 11.4 per-cent jump year-on-year, while Paphos moved three million—benefiting from expanded Ryanair and Wizz Air bases that have turned the western city into a low-cost gateway for digital-nomad traffic. Hermes projects total 2025 throughput of roughly 13 million, easily eclipsing the 12.3 million record set in 2024.
For global-mobility teams, the surge has two main implications. First, slot scarcity at peak times is squeezing short-notice business travel. Airlines have begun capping group allocations, and premium-economy fares on the London, Tel Aviv and Warsaw routes—key business corridors—have risen 18–22 per cent since July. Second, the rise in passenger numbers is accelerating the government’s dialogue with the EU on Schengen accession. Officials told Cyprus Mail that biometric kiosks compliant with the Entry/Exit System (EES) have been ordered for installation by May 2026, aiming to cut queues for non-EU executives.
The passenger boom is also fuelling ancillary investment: duty-free operator CTC-ARI is expanding its luxury-goods footprint, and Paphos’s business-aviation apron will gain four extra stands by Q2 2026. Meanwhile, corporate housing providers in Limassol report occupancy rates above 90 per-cent, driven by longer-stay technology contractors who use Paphos as a convenient weekend gateway.
With air traffic trending higher, HR policy-makers should lock in negotiated fare caps with preferred carriers and book rotational assignments at least three months out during shoulder season. Organisations moving staff through Cyprus can also leverage the island’s fast-track immigration channels—such as the updated Category C work-permit scheme—to offset potential flight-availability headaches.
Larnaca Airport processed 7.7 million passengers in the nine-month period, an 11.4 per-cent jump year-on-year, while Paphos moved three million—benefiting from expanded Ryanair and Wizz Air bases that have turned the western city into a low-cost gateway for digital-nomad traffic. Hermes projects total 2025 throughput of roughly 13 million, easily eclipsing the 12.3 million record set in 2024.
For global-mobility teams, the surge has two main implications. First, slot scarcity at peak times is squeezing short-notice business travel. Airlines have begun capping group allocations, and premium-economy fares on the London, Tel Aviv and Warsaw routes—key business corridors—have risen 18–22 per cent since July. Second, the rise in passenger numbers is accelerating the government’s dialogue with the EU on Schengen accession. Officials told Cyprus Mail that biometric kiosks compliant with the Entry/Exit System (EES) have been ordered for installation by May 2026, aiming to cut queues for non-EU executives.
The passenger boom is also fuelling ancillary investment: duty-free operator CTC-ARI is expanding its luxury-goods footprint, and Paphos’s business-aviation apron will gain four extra stands by Q2 2026. Meanwhile, corporate housing providers in Limassol report occupancy rates above 90 per-cent, driven by longer-stay technology contractors who use Paphos as a convenient weekend gateway.
With air traffic trending higher, HR policy-makers should lock in negotiated fare caps with preferred carriers and book rotational assignments at least three months out during shoulder season. Organisations moving staff through Cyprus can also leverage the island’s fast-track immigration channels—such as the updated Category C work-permit scheme—to offset potential flight-availability headaches.
