Cyprus’s tourism authorities are sending a message of calm amid regional tensions, with Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis expressing optimism that flight schedules to the island will largely return to normal by the weekend.
Speaking to CyBC from Berlin, where the ITB tourism exhibition took place from March 3 to 5, Koumis said the flight programme to Cyprus is gradually stabilising despite the disruption caused by the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
“The most important point is that there are no indications or discussions about changes to the summer season schedule,” he said.
Flights gradually resuming
Signs of recovery in air travel have already begun to emerge. EasyJet has announced the resumption of flights to and from Cyprus, including routes from London, Berlin and Basel to Larnaca, and from London, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh to Paphos.
TUI is expected to restart its flights on Saturday, while Lufthansa is anticipated to resume operations during the weekend.
According to Koumis, cancellations recorded in recent days were primarily linked to the temporary suspension of flights by certain airlines rather than a broader loss of interest in Cyprus as a tourist destination.
“It was entirely natural that some cancellations occurred,” he said, noting that the disruption stemmed mainly from precautionary decisions by specific airlines amid regional tensions.
With several carriers already restarting operations and others expected to resume flights by Sunday if the situation does not deteriorate further, European flight schedules appear to be gradually returning to normal levels. The main remaining disruptions concern airlines operating from countries in the Middle East.
Cyprus remains a safe destination
Koumis stressed that Cyprus remains a safe destination for visitors.
“Our country was, is and will remain a safe tourist destination,” he said, emphasising that the message must reach both international visitors and tourism professionals.
He pointed out that Cyprus lies hundreds of kilometres away from the areas where military operations are taking place.
No changes expected for summer tourism
Despite the current uncertainty, authorities say there is no indication that airlines or major tour operators plan to revise their summer programmes for Cyprus. According to Koumis, contacts between Cypriot authorities, major tour operators and airlines during meetings in Berlin confirmed that none is considering reducing the number of flights scheduled for the summer season.
The deputy minister noted that the overall performance of the tourism season will depend largely on the duration of the conflict in the Middle East. Traditionally, the start of the tourism season is linked to Catholic Easter, which this year falls in early April. If tensions ease before then, prospects for the tourism year remain positive.
Business community calls for calm
Similar calls for calm have been made by the president of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB), George Pantelides.
In a written statement, Pantelides urged the public to avoid unnecessary panic, noting that economic activity on the island continues without significant disruption. He said the only negative development so far has been the temporary suspension of flights by some airlines. However, most carriers continued their flight programmes to Cyprus, while several that had suspended routes have already resumed operations to Larnaca and Paphos.
Flight cancellations and repatriations
On Thursday, a total of 50 flights were cancelled to and from Cyprus’s airports. According to Hermes Airports, which manages the island’s airports, 45 flights were cancelled at Larnaca Airport, 21 arrivals and 24 departures, while five departures were cancelled at Paphos Airport.
The cancellations included three flights to Tel Aviv, one to Haifa and one to Georgia. Since the beginning of missile attacks against Iran by Israel and the United States, more than 300 flights to and from Cyprus have been cancelled. Most involved routes connecting Cyprus with Israel and Middle Eastern countries, although a number of European flights were also affected.
Repatriation flights bring citizens home
The Foreign Ministry also announced that five repatriation flights to Cyprus have been carried out so far, one charter flight organised by the state and four commercial flights, assisting a total of 213 people who had been in Middle Eastern countries in recent days. On Wednesday evening, a Cyprus Airways charter flight organised by the Cypriot government arrived at Larnaca Airport from Dubai carrying 182 Cypriot citizens.
In addition, a Gulf Air commercial flight from Dammam in Saudi Arabia transported 12 Cypriot citizens who had been in Bahrain. Another commercial flight operated by TUS Airways arrived from Taba in Egypt carrying 12 Cypriot citizens, eight of whom had been in Israel and four in Jordan. An Aegean Airlines flight also arrived in Larnaca via Athens from Muscat, Oman, carrying five passengers, including four Cypriot citizens and one Ukrainian national.
Finally, two Cypriot citizens returned to Athens from Muscat via a commercial flight operated by Oman Air with a stopover in Rome.