Filenews 16 November 2022
There will be more than 9 million passengers in 2022 at Larnaka and Pafos airports, said Eleni Kalogirou, Chief Executive Officer of Hermes Airports.
"Since the beginning of the year, we have been on a path of increasing passenger traffic despite the unrest that arose such as the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed by all member states of the European Union," she said.
During the summer months, Ms. Kalogirou noted, "traffic at both airports in Cyprus steadily exceeded 1 million passengers per month, while this upward trend will continue until the end of the year. We estimate that in total the year 2022 will end with more than 9 million passengers for both airports."
According to Ms. Kalogirou, this result "is not the result of circumstances, but of continuous work, as we have developed a network of actions and incentives to attract airlines, while we are in constant communication with the airlines. Enhancing the attractiveness of Cyprus and making it a tourist destination, as well as enhancing its connectivity, have contributed decisively to the formation of this development path, have been and are our strategic goals, for the implementation of which we work closely with the rest of the tourism stakeholders".
In response to a relevant question, Ms. Kalogirou said that "the increased passenger traffic of the summer did not cause any operational problems at the airports of Cyprus. The images of chaos we had seen in recent months at airports in Europe and America - as a result of the lack of staff in airlines and ground handling companies - did not affect the airports of Cyprus and this contributed positively to the visitor's experience, both on arrival and departure."
As a result, she continued, "the management of the ever-increasing summer passenger traffic of Cyprus airports has been achieved thanks to the proper planning of both Hermes Airports and the wider airport community".
She also noted that "our primary goal remains to be a model of sustainable tourism, which is why the investments made are based on a holistic plan of a modern business. The implementation of photovoltaic parks for energy saving 25% and 30% respectively at Larnaka and Pafos airports has already begun, after receiving the necessary permits from the state, which are expected to be completed in the near future".
At the same time, she said "we recently released the first Sustainable Development Report, covering the year 2021, which was prepared according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI Standards) framework. The report addresses sustainability as an integral part of Hermes' business strategy, in all aspects of our operation and growth, applying the best practices of our industry."
