€220 m runway-expansion breaks ground at Paphos Airport, lifting peak capacity 30 %

Hermes Airports began night-time construction works on 27–28 November for the second phase of Paphos International Airport’s long-planned upgrade. The €220 million package will install two rapid-exit taxiways, extend the southern parallel taxiway and enlarge the terminal by one-third. Once complete in mid-2027 the project is expected to raise peak-hour aircraft movements from 12 to 18 and overall passenger throughput by about 30 %.

The air-side works are timed so that flight operations continue uninterrupted; crews enter the runway after the last departure at 23:30 and hand the pavement back before the first arrival at 06:00. Hermes says the rapid-exit taxiways alone will cut average runway occupancy by 45 seconds per jet, creating new slots for both low-cost carriers and corporate aviation.



Inside the terminal, plans call for six additional departure gates, an enlarged immigration hall wired for future biometric e-gates, and a bigger baggage-handling system compatible with EU Entry/Exit System specifications. Project managers are coordinating with airlines and ground-handlers to minimise disruption, although one arrivals-level traffic lane is closed—passengers should allow an extra 15 minutes for drop-off.

For global-mobility teams the expansion promises greater seat availability on Western European and Gulf routes that routinely operate at load factors above 90 % in summer. The Cypriot Chamber of Commerce predicts the added capacity will boost winter tourism and support the island’s drive to attract regional headquarters and remote-working talent.

Hermes notes that the works dovetail with Cyprus’ ambition to join Schengen later this decade; the new immigration hall will feature automated border-control lanes that can be switched on once accession becomes reality.