Filenews 26 April 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
A first that, although it has only a temporary and semi-logical interest, nevertheless does not cease to have its own significance, is recorded these days in the issue of air connectivity of Cyprus with foreign markets.
With the complete reactivation of the aviation sector and the almost regularity in the field of travel, Paphos Airport records particularly high rates of arrivals and departures of aircraft, to a point that for the first time it outperforms the corresponding recordings from the main airport of the island, Larnaka International Airport.
This does not seem to be unrelated to the complete reactivation of the UK tourism industry, given that Paphos is by far the first choice of the British for their holidays in Cyprus. On the contrary, the Russian market, which due to the war in Ukraine, is now out of the game, as well as markets of central and northern Europe, such as Germany and Scandinavia, which do not yet record very high performances, were primarily directed to the area of free Famagusta, a fact that contributes to the less satisfactory traffic at this stage of Larnaka airport.
Air traffic officials also observed, speaking to "F", that Paphos, during this period that follows the restrictions due to the pandemic, capitalizes to a huge extent also private flights that bring to Cyprus small groups of visitors with a special financial standing.
These conditions have allowed Paphos Airport to show an unprecedented traffic for the summer season, which, in combination with the daily intense activity of Ryanair, has turned Pafos Airport into a temporary, at least, "flagship" of the entrance gate for visitors to the island.
