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Record-Breaking Passenger Traffic At Cyprus Airports: March 2025 Sees Remarkable Growth

March 2025 has proven to be a milestone month for Cyprus’s aviation industry, marking a 5.91% increase in passenger numbers compared to March 2024. Both Larnaca and Paphos airports collectively processed 707,304 passengers, establishing the highest traffic ever recorded for the first quarter of the year.

Analyzing the Traffic Surge

In an official statement, the Ministry of Transport highlighted this continuous growth, echoing the positive trends seen throughout 2024. Specifically, passenger volume at Larnaca Airport surged by 15.17%. Conversely, Paphos Airport observed an 11.45% decline in travelers year-on-year.

Key Contributors To Growth

The dynamic increase in flights reached 5,921 movements, translating to a 5.85% boost from last year. Greece, the United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, and Germany emerged as pivotal markets in this traffic escalation.

Regional Traffic Insights

Larnaca Airport celebrated significant increases on routes connecting to Israel, Greece, the UK, Poland, and Armenia. Meanwhile, Paphos Airport saw growth in traffic to Germany, Israel, Sweden, Lithuania, and Ireland.

Shifts In Regional Traffic

Despite these improvements, certain regions experienced decreased traffic. Larnaca Airport faced declines from Germany, Austria, France, Lithuania, and Hungary, while Paphos Airport saw reductions from Greece, Italy, France, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

€50 Million Luxury Resort Planned For Ayia Napa

Ayia Napa could strengthen its position in the premium tourism market with a proposed €50 million mixed-use resort combining a hotel, serviced apartments, luxury bungalows and a beach club.

Aesara Investments Ltd has submitted an information form to the Department of Environment for a development to operate under the name Atlantica Wavemaster Hospitality. The project is planned for the Limnara area of Ayia Napa, along the coast south of Kryou Nerou Avenue, between the town centre and Cape Greco.

Hotel, Apartments And Luxury Bungalows

The proposed resort will include a 324-room hotel with capacity for 648 guests, alongside a condo-hotel building containing 20 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Facilities are planned to include restaurants, bars, cafés, a spa with an indoor pool, a gym, shops, a multipurpose hall, a children’s club and a cinema.

A further 33 three-level luxury bungalows, each designed for two guests and featuring a private swimming pool, are planned for the southern part of the site. A beach club with a restaurant and an outdoor pool complex covering more than 6,300 square metres will also form part of the development.

The project includes 321 parking spaces, including 12 for people with disabilities, and 14,196 square metres of landscaped green space featuring local plant species.

Seasonal Hotel Operations And Year-Round Residences

The hotel is expected to operate from March to November, with peak occupancy during the summer season. The condo-hotel apartments, meanwhile, will be available for sale or long-term rental and intended for year-round residence. Owners and tenants will also have access to the resort’s facilities, including its pools, restaurants and fitness areas.

Construction is expected to take 24 months once the required permits are secured. At the busiest stage, the project could employ around 100 workers per day.

Environmental Restrictions Near Cape Greco

The site’s proximity to protected Natura 2000 areas has prompted strict environmental requirements. The Cape Greco Special Protection Area borders the site to the south, while a Special Area of Conservation lies approximately 50 metres away.

Conditions imposed by the Department of Environment include a maximum building height of five floors, or 18.5 metres, and restrictions on permanent structures near the coastline. The project must also use spider-web type glazing and low-intensity lighting to minimise disturbance to local birdlife.

According to the project’s consultants, the design has been prepared to comply with the environmental conditions and the final report on cumulative impacts for the Cape Greco Special Protection Area. The hotel and apartment building are positioned in the central and northern parts of the plot, away from the shoreline.

Within the designated no-build zone, located 40 metres from the boundary of the beach protection zone, only swimming pools are planned. The consultants state that these are not expected to affect protected species in the area.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
eCredo
Uol
Aretilaw firm

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