Russia's S7 Is Among Airlines Eyeing Cyprus, Minister Says
- Aviation sector expansion to boost visitor numbers this year
- Country has received concession bids for main commercial port
Paphos International Airport in Cyprus.
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The planned expansion of Cyprus’s aviation sector in 2016 will help fuel a rise in the number of visitors to the island, as airlines including Russia’s second-biggest carrier apply for local licenses, Transport and Communications Minister Marios Demetriades said.
Passenger traffic at Cyprus’s two international airports of Larnaca and Paphos rose 3.5 percent in 2015 to a record high of over 7.6 million people, despite the closure of Cyprus Airways in January last year and reduced flights from Russia, which together took out 1.5 million seats, according to operator Hermes Airports.