Filenews 25 October 2025 - by Natasha Christoforou
Cyprus is expected to become an aircraft maintenance hub, through investments of more than €100 million. at the old Larnaca airport. After Bird Aviation Ltd, which has put in place a plan to significantly expand its activities, three other companies intend to build aircraft maintenance hangars on the site of the old airport, which are believed to be ready by 2028. It is estimated that this activity will open hundreds of jobs, according to the company that undertook the implementation, while two private universities are preparing to offer specialized study programs, with the aim of absorbing human resources from Cyprus.
The effort to exploit the space at the old Larnaca airport, where the hangar of Cyprus Airways was located, began a decade ago, as Andreas Christofides and Pavlina Chrysostomou, founders of Nopo Financial Services, explained to "F". The company undertook, in cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus and Hermes Airports, the design and finding of investors, in order to make full use of the space and to make Cyprus an aircraft maintenance center, offering MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) services.
It all started in 2015 when Bird Aviation renovated the large hangar of Cyprus Airways, and in 2016 it started, with two maintenance lines, to repair aircraft. "The creation of this particular hangar put Cyprus on the map, since there are not many similar ones in the world. They only exist in certain countries and the closest to us was Malta. It was difficult in the early years because the big airlines had to trust you. We managed to convince the airlines and the first Airbus 320s came for maintenance. Planes even arrived from Africa (of Air Namibia), even from Australia. Some large companies, such as Easy Jet, now have large contracts, many jobs have been opened and a large income has been introduced to Cyprus," noted Mr. Christofides.
"Initially we worked at Bird Aviation and then we created Nopo, with the goal of life to move forward with the creation of more hangars at the old Larnaca airport. We started talking to Hermes, drawing up plans and visiting many exhibitions abroad in order to find out about the needs and types of aircraft. For years we had no benefit, but only financial cost. It was trips at the expense of our families and days and nights in front of paintings to make a business plan," added Ms. Chrysostomou.
The long-term effort began to bear fruit last year, after Bird Aviation decided to expand to an adjacent plot, creating a second aircraft maintenance hangar. "In 2024, he started building a new shed, for which we had a very suffocating schedule, since it had to be completed in 14 weeks. In the end, despite the obstacles, we succeeded. The hangar was completed in November 2024 and can serve one more plane. In order to make its completion possible, on schedule, we had help from the Larnaca Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hermes and state services.
After that, we threw our efforts to attract more investments of this kind, since that part of the old airport is offered exclusively for such investments," says Mr. Christofides, unfolding the plans that exist. "Bird aviation has launched a new hangar next door for three other aircraft, one of which is for large A330 and A350 aircraft. The first phase has already been completed and the second will be completed within 2026. We are also pleased to announce that a second company is preparing to launch a hangar of the same size, which will serve three aircraft at the same time.
This is a company whose name we cannot reveal at this time, but we can say that it will serve its own aircraft. There is also interest from two other companies, which will serve private aircraft. Each hangar will perform maintenance on separate types of aircraft. The second company has already signed with the airport operator Hermes Airports, while the other two are very close to the implementation of their agreements. In order to decide the companies, studies were carried out and presented to the competent state bodies."
It is noted that each shed costs about €20 million, not counting its equipment.
"1,500 jobs will be created"
The prospects that are opening up are great, according to Ms. Chrysostomou, it is estimated that, through these investments, about 1,500 jobs will be opened.
One of the most important initiatives taken is related to the intention of two private universities to offer study programs for aircraft engineers. "Cyprus was sick on the issue of mechanical aircraft. Bird Aviation, because it does not have staff in Cyprus, takes from all over the world by securing special licenses," he noted, adding that they have contacted universities and that from September 2026 UCLan and the University of Nicosia are expected to offer these study programs.
The two major investors, in fact, signed that they will provide education to students. "They will have a nursery in their sheds to work on, which they will then employ," said the founders of Nopo, noting that their vision is to bring these large companies to Cyprus and enable young people "to engage in another profession, which pays well and has a future".
"Connectivity is improving"
The Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeadis, welcomes the efforts, who told our newspaper that "all the infrastructure at the airports that strengthen air traffic and the quality of the services we offer, strengthen the role of Cyprus as a center for the provision of services to the airlines". He also added that these have a positive effect on improving the country's connectivity.
For its part, Hermes Airports expressed satisfaction with the completion of the procedures required to proceed with these projects which, as it said, "it has been promoting for a long time".
The investments in the old airport are also welcomed by the Larnaca Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which had long called for actions to develop it. The director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Charalambos Andreou, underlined that Larnaca is becoming a hub in the field of aviation. "These planes will fully cover all levels of aircraft maintenance, due to the work done by the founders of Nopo, in conjunction with a company, of American and French interests, established in the Aradippou Industrial Area and engaged in the assembly of aircraft engines."
