Airports set for €150m facelift as passenger numbers soar

Major expansion works at the Larnaca and Paphos international airports are set to begin in March, pending final environmental and planning approvals, with new measures proposed to protect nearby conservation areas.

The Environmental Authority has outlined protective measures for Larnaca Salt Lake and the Ezousa, Xeros, and Diarizos river estuaries through Special Ecological Assessment Reports.

The €150 million expansion will increase the airports’ combined passenger capacity by 43 percent to 17.5 million annually, up from 12.2 million in 2024. Larnaca Airport will accommodate 12.5 million passengers yearly, whilst Paphos will handle 5 million.

At Larnaca Airport, the 20,000-square-metre terminal expansion includes new boarding gates, a new wing connected to the main building, and increased aircraft parking. The project, expected to take 30 months, will be contained within existing airport boundaries.

Paphos Airport’s terminal will expand by 30 percent, with improvements to its southern parallel taxiway to enhance runway safety and capacity. The work is scheduled for completion within 27 months.

The environmental authority has mandated 10 protective measures for Larnaca’s wildlife habitats and 13 for Paphos’s Natura 2000 site, with construction expected to begin once final approvals are secured, possibly as early as next week.