Hermes Airports participated in Routes World 2026, the leading global event dedicated to the development of air connectivity, which took place in Frankfurt from 21 to 23 October, holding more than 30 meetings with airlines. Discussions focused primarily on the Winter 2026–2027 season, as well as airlines’ plans for 2027 and the years ahead.
The meetings highlighted the pressures facing the aviation industry, particularly the rising cost of fuel, which is affecting both demand and airline profitability. Despite these challenges, Cyprus continues to maintain a positive outlook, with Hermes Airports’ airline partners expressing their intention to strengthen their flight schedules and further expand their operations in 2027.
At the same time, one of the key challenges facing airlines is the increasingly shorter booking window, with the time between booking and travel now reduced to just three to four weeks. This trend, which is being observed across a wide range of destinations worldwide, makes flight planning and operational decision-making more challenging. Furthermore, fluctuations in demand, combined with the need to enhance Cyprus’ visibility in specific markets, continue to affect the viability of certain routes.
Airlines also expressed a strong interest in significantly extending the winter season, provided that Cyprus continues to enrich its tourism product and deliver attractive experiences throughout the year.
Hermes Airports’ participation in Routes World 2026 forms part of its ongoing strategy to strengthen Cyprus’ air connectivity.
Meanwhile, passenger traffic figures released by Hermes Airports show that a total of 1.43 million passengers travelled through Larnaka and Pafos airports in October, representing a 3% decrease compared to the same month last year. Despite this slight decline, Hermes Airports estimates that total passenger traffic for 2026 will reach approximately 13.3 million, representing a decrease of around 3% compared to 2025, which was the busiest year on record. This performance further underlines Cyprus’ enduring potential and resilience as a tourism and aviation destination.
