EUROCONTROL’s Network Manager released the 270th edition of the European Network Operations Plan (NOP) – Rolling Seasonal Plan on 18 September 2026. The eight-week outlook pulls schedule data from 350 airlines and demand forecasts from 68 Area Control Centres, including the Nicosia FIR that covers the whole of Cyprus’ airspace. According to stakeholders briefed on the publication, traffic to and from Cyprus is expected to average 19 % above 2025 volumes during the October-November shoulder season, with peaks of more than 700 daily movements around the autumn school holidays. The Plan highlights several structural factors behind the rise: a 14 % year-on-year increase in low-cost capacity out of Larnaca and Pafos, the extension of Cyprus Airways’ Munich and Rome services into winter, and Wizz Air’s decision to base an additional A321neo in Larnaca after 29 October. To handle the load, EUROCONTROL has coordinated with Nicosia ACC on a suite of flow-management measures, including dynamic route availability document (RAD) relaxations over the eastern Mediterranean and the use of flexible off-peak staffing. Airlines are advised to file early flight plans to secure optimal tracks, especially on weekends when the plan foresees local military activity in adjoining Ankara FIR that can compress civil corridors. For business travellers and mobility managers, the outlook is broadly positive: EUROCONTROL does not foresee ATFM delays exceeding 0.3 minutes per flight for Cyprus, well below the European average. However, operators should be mindful of potential knock-on effects from neighbouring conflict-zone airspace closures that could funnel additional traffic through Nicosia FIR at short notice. Corporate travel programmes with tight connection windows in Larnaca may therefore wish to build in extra buffers during the forecast peak days. The Rolling Seasonal Plan is updated every Friday; mobility teams with Cyprus-bound traffic should ensure they are subscribed to EUROCONTROL’s NOP portal for the most current capacity scenarios and tactical notices.
Source: EUROCONTROL
