Larnaka Airport Aims To Serve High Traffic Demand Across Europe And India

Larnaka International Airport (LCA) in Cyprus, operated by Hermes Airports, handled 8.6 million passengers in 2024, a 6% increase compared to the previous year. The second phase of LCA’s expansion is set to transform the airport over the next 30 months and increase passenger capacity to 12.4 million annually.

A key focus for Hermes Airports is establishing sustainable, year-round connectivity. While the winter season now accounts for 25% of total traffic—a notable improvement in recent years—there is still significant room for growth.

To address this, Hermes Airports is collaborating closely with tourism stakeholders across the island. In January 2025, they hosted a conference titled “Beyond Sea and Sun,” bringing together airlines, tourism bodies, government representatives, and municipal authorities to explore strategies for transforming Cyprus into a truly year-round destination.

During the winter 2024–25 season, LCA has seen several additions to its route network. These include Wizz Air’s new year-round service to Milan, operating three times per week from September 2024; LOT Polish Airlines’ direct flights to Warsaw, with 4X-weekly frequencies throughout the winter; and easyJet’s 2X-weekly service to Amsterdam.

SkyUp Airlines is set to launch a new direct service to Chisinau, Moldova, from April 2025, operating three times per week. This will be followed by Cyprus Airways’ new seasonal route to Venice, starting in May with 2X-weekly flights. Additionally, Transavia France has expanded its summer 2025 schedule with new routes connecting LCA to both Marseille and Lyon.

Overall, LCA operates 24/7 and serves 55 airlines from all types of carriers, having managed to maintain a balanced portfolio along the years. Wizz Air established a base at LCA in 2020 with two aircraft and has since expanded its presence to four based aircraft, making it the airport’s largest airline by capacity.

With the infrastructure and demand to handle passenger growth, LCA has uploaded multiple route opportunities to its profile to close air connectivity gaps.

Opportunities include:

Spain: Currently Spain is one of the few markets that has very limited direct operation although there are 53,000 passengers traveling between Cyprus and Spain every year, indirectly. Madrid and Barcelona lead demand, with 14,000 and 15,000 annual passengers respectively—though Barcelona is currently served only during the peak summer season. Among all unserved routes, Larnaca–Madrid ranks highest in terms of future demand based on search volumes from both ends.

Germany: Germany is one of Cyprus’s top five source markets, with strong potential for further growth—particularly in the inbound leisure segment. While a significant share of traffic flows through major hubs like Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, there are notable opportunities to expand service from regional cities. Airports such as Hamburg and Stuttgart, which are currently served only on a seasonal basis, offer potential for increased frequency, while others like Nuremberg, Dortmund, and Bremen remain unserved altogether. In recent years, Cyprus has gained popularity among German tourists during the off-peak season, suggesting that demand could be further extended into the winter months.

Ireland: LCA seeks to serve Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, with indirect demand reaching 15,000 passengers annually.

Belgium: The market is currently served from Larnaca primarily through charter operations. However, there is strong potential for scheduled year-round service, as approximately 33,000 passengers travel between Larnaca and Brussels via connecting flights—making it the most in-demand unserved or underserved route from Larnaca.

Portugal: Demand between Cyprus and Portugal has been steadily increasing in recent years, with more than 20,000 passengers currently traveling between the two countries via connecting flights. The majority of this traffic originates from Portugal’s major airports. Lisbon is the most popular destination, accounting for around 12,000 passengers transiting through key European hubs, followed by Porto with over 7,000 passengers. Direct flights between Portugal and Cyprus would cater to both leisure and VFR segments, and could also provide a convenient one-stop option for connecting to Latin America. Notably, Lisbon–Larnaca ranks among the top five unserved routes in terms of future demand based on search volumes.

Italy: Italy is one of the developing markets for Cyprus in recent years, with most of the routes being in a radius of 2.5 to 3.5-hr. flight time. In total, more than 100,000 passengers traveled indirectly during the year between the two countries, with Bologna positioned high on the list as the fourth most popular unserved destination with 10,000 passengers.

Delhi: Traffic between Larnaca and India has grown significantly in recent years, with more than 30,000 passengers traveling between the two markets annually. Delhi is the most connected Indian city, accounting for an estimated 17,000 passengers—primarily inbound traffic for leisure and business purposes. A direct route between Larnaca and India could benefit from feeder traffic from neighboring countries such as Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. Likewise, it could attract connecting passengers from other cities across India, enhancing the viability of the service.

Unserved:

• Bologna Airport (BLQ)
• GMR Delhi International Airport (DEL)
• Porto Airport (OPO)
• Madrid Airport (MAD)
• Lisbon Airport (LIS)
• Dublin Airport (DUB)
• Tallinn Airport (TLL)
• Bournemouth Airport (BOH)
• Albrecht Dürer Airport Nürnberg (NUE)
• Zagreb Airport (ZAG)
• Brussels Airport (BRU)

Underserved

• Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
• Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
• Barcelona El-Prat Airport (BCN)
• Genève Airport (GVA)
• Stuttgart Airport (STR)
• Hamburg Airport (HAM)

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