CYPRUS. Larnaka and Pafos airports posted a combined +18% year-on-year increase in passengers in 2016, to 8.97 million.
There was a +24.5% surge in travellers at Larnaka and a +2.6% rise at Pafos. Both are operated by Hermes Airports.
The largest growth markets were Russia (+47%), the UK (+13%), Greece (+14.5%) and Israel (+47%).
Hermes Airports said 10 airlines began operations at the Cypriot airports in 2016, and 21 new routes were added.
Hermes Airports Chief Executive Officer Eleni Kaloyirou said the results had “a direct positive impact on Cyprus’ economy and tourism” but “did not allow for complacency”.
She noted that “the coordinated efforts by Hermes as well as other tourism stakeholders must continue and intensify” if the upward trend was to continue in 2017.
