The Cypriot government has fast-tracked a Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract with Aegean Airlines that will introduce a regular, year-round air link between Larnaca International Airport and Brussels Zaventem from December 2025, just weeks before Cyprus assumes the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2026.
Under the €4.7 million, one-year agreement—finalised after an initial tender at €3.7 million failed to attract bids—Aegean will operate three flights per week at launch, ramping up to five weekly rotations during the January–July presidency period, before tapering back to three and then two flights per week through November 2026. The Department of Civil Aviation said the carrier was the sole compliant bidder and is now undergoing final safety and quality checks before the contract is signed in the coming days.
Cypriot officials have treated the route as critical infrastructure for the presidency, noting that some 260 informal ministerial meetings are expected to take place on the island, generating at least 62,500 overnight stays for visiting delegates. Without a nonstop service, most travellers currently connect through Athens, Vienna, or Frankfurt, adding three to six hours to journey times. Direct connectivity will slash door-to-door travel to under four hours, easing logistics for EU civil servants, corporate lobbyists, journalists and NGOs who need to shuttle between Brussels and Nicosia on tight schedules.
![Cyprus EU Presidency secures direct Larnaca–Brussels flights under €4.7 million PSO deal]()
Beyond the presidency, the flight is expected to bolster year-round business travel and enhance Cyprus’s attractiveness for multinational companies managing regional operations or relocating staff under the island’s growing tech and head-office incentive schemes. The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates the presidency could inject €120 million into the economy, with improved air links capturing a significant share of that spending in hotels, conferencing, car hire and professional services.
The deal also highlights the EU’s PSO mechanism as a tool for smaller member states to maintain essential connectivity that might not be commercially viable on a purely market basis. Brussels has previously approved PSO routes linking outlying regions such as Madeira, Corsica and the Greek islands. For Cyprus, which remains outside the Schengen area until its expected accession in 2026, efficient air corridors are vital to offset its geographic peripherality and support its ambition to become a regional hub for digital nomads, high-skilled talent and foreign direct investment.
Travellers can expect a standard narrow-body service operated by Airbus A320-family aircraft, with schedules timed to allow same-day return options for officials on short missions. Ticket pricing will be in line with Aegean’s other PSO routes, combining subsidised base fares with optional extras. The government will monitor load factors quarterly; should the route prove profitable, authorities hinted they may transition to an open tender without subsidy after the first year, encouraging competition from other carriers.
Practical tips: corporate travel managers should pencil in the new flight numbers once slots are published in GDS systems later this month. Delegations visiting during the presidency peak (Jan-Jul 2026) are advised to book early, as seat blocks for EU institutions will absorb a large share of capacity. Companies relocating staff to Cyprus under the island’s 17 % flat-tax regime may also factor in the reduced travel time to Brussels when drafting mobility policies.
Under the €4.7 million, one-year agreement—finalised after an initial tender at €3.7 million failed to attract bids—Aegean will operate three flights per week at launch, ramping up to five weekly rotations during the January–July presidency period, before tapering back to three and then two flights per week through November 2026. The Department of Civil Aviation said the carrier was the sole compliant bidder and is now undergoing final safety and quality checks before the contract is signed in the coming days.
Cypriot officials have treated the route as critical infrastructure for the presidency, noting that some 260 informal ministerial meetings are expected to take place on the island, generating at least 62,500 overnight stays for visiting delegates. Without a nonstop service, most travellers currently connect through Athens, Vienna, or Frankfurt, adding three to six hours to journey times. Direct connectivity will slash door-to-door travel to under four hours, easing logistics for EU civil servants, corporate lobbyists, journalists and NGOs who need to shuttle between Brussels and Nicosia on tight schedules.
Beyond the presidency, the flight is expected to bolster year-round business travel and enhance Cyprus’s attractiveness for multinational companies managing regional operations or relocating staff under the island’s growing tech and head-office incentive schemes. The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates the presidency could inject €120 million into the economy, with improved air links capturing a significant share of that spending in hotels, conferencing, car hire and professional services.
The deal also highlights the EU’s PSO mechanism as a tool for smaller member states to maintain essential connectivity that might not be commercially viable on a purely market basis. Brussels has previously approved PSO routes linking outlying regions such as Madeira, Corsica and the Greek islands. For Cyprus, which remains outside the Schengen area until its expected accession in 2026, efficient air corridors are vital to offset its geographic peripherality and support its ambition to become a regional hub for digital nomads, high-skilled talent and foreign direct investment.
Travellers can expect a standard narrow-body service operated by Airbus A320-family aircraft, with schedules timed to allow same-day return options for officials on short missions. Ticket pricing will be in line with Aegean’s other PSO routes, combining subsidised base fares with optional extras. The government will monitor load factors quarterly; should the route prove profitable, authorities hinted they may transition to an open tender without subsidy after the first year, encouraging competition from other carriers.
Practical tips: corporate travel managers should pencil in the new flight numbers once slots are published in GDS systems later this month. Delegations visiting during the presidency peak (Jan-Jul 2026) are advised to book early, as seat blocks for EU institutions will absorb a large share of capacity. Companies relocating staff to Cyprus under the island’s 17 % flat-tax regime may also factor in the reduced travel time to Brussels when drafting mobility policies.
