WORLD ROUTES: Hermes Airports Welcomes Eleven New Carriers to Cyprus in 2014

Two international airports basking under 300-plus days of sunshine per year in the middle of the Eastern Mediterranean have cause to celebrate a banner year. Serving as gateways to the spectacular island of Cyprus for millions of leisure travellers, Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport, which are operated by Hermes Airports, together welcomed a record eleven new carriers in 2014 alone.

These new air services included a real range of operators from full-service, high-quality business airlines to low-cost and leisure carriers as against all odds, holiday travel to beloved European sunspot surges. The new routes for 2014 comprise Air Mediterranee from Lyon and Nantes; Flyniki from Vienna; Globus from Moscow; Germanwings from Cologne; I Fly from Novosibirsk, Ikar Airlines from Krasnoyarsk and Ufa; Qatar Airways from Doha; Queshm Airlines from Tehran, UTair Aviation, from St Petersburg; Vueling Airlines from Barcelona and Zagrosjet from Erbil.

Against a backdrop of economic challenges for Cyprus, as well as regional geopolitical tensions, Hermes Airports has delivered substantial growth. In addition to eleven new airlines, the airports have seen increased capacity from existing airlines and the introduction of new services. easyJet continued its growth from continental Europe to Cyprus, adding Basel in summer 2014. Wizz Air added Kiev, Vilnius and Belgrade and Norwegian included Cyprus as a destination from its base at London’s Gatwick Airport. Russian carriers such as Nordwind, Transaero and Orenburg Airlines also added a total of ten new services from regional Russian destinations.

“Eleven new carriers and a total of 19 new routes in a single year is certainly a record for us, one that’s having an immediate impact of 4.5 per cent year-over-year growth in traffic,” said Wes Porter, chief executive officer, Hermes Airports. “As these flights begin operation and more and more travellers discover the magic of this island, we’re poised to welcome further growth.”

Hermes Airports has been equally busy growing its digital connections. To better equip visitors with important travel information, and to give airlines the ability to promote their services to Cyprus, Hermes recently launched a refreshed website at hermesairports.com, and social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter (@CyprusAeropolis) and YouTube.

Welcoming some 5.2 million travellers per year, Larnaka International Airport is the primary gateway to “Aphrodite’s Island,” and the southeastern-most gateway airport to Europe. Its €517 million passenger terminal opened in 2009, and today is served by 65 airlines offering non-stop service from 90 destinations throughout the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

Located on the western side of the island, award-winning Pafos International Airport features a modern and accessible passenger terminal, through which millions of travellers connect to the island’s historic sites and pristine beaches each year. Vantage Airport Group is an equity partner in Hermes Airports Limited, which holds a 25-year concession agreement and long-term management contract for Larnaka and Pafos Airports.