NICOSIA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Air passenger traffic at Cyprus airports dropped significantly in March, reflecting the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East on regional tourism, the Cyprus Mail reported on Tuesday.
According to Hermes Airports, the operator of the island's two main gateways - Larnaca International Airport on the southeastern coast and Paphos International Airport in the southwest - total passenger traffic fell by 15.3 percent year-on-year to 599,218 travelers in March, down from 707,204 in the same month last year.
The sharp decline marked a reversal from the steady growth recorded in previous months, with both January and February posting record-high traffic levels.
Passenger traffic at Larnaca Airport declined by 17.1 percent to 415,686, compared with 501,594 a year earlier. At Paphos Airport, the number of travelers decreased by 10.7 percent to 183,532 from 205,610.
The report attributed the drop to the ongoing conflict in Iran and the broader Middle East situation. Continued instability in the Gulf region has led to slower bookings and a rise in cancellations, particularly for March and April, industry observers noted.
Cyprus has also faced direct security spillovers from the regional conflict. In early March, a drone strike hit a British air base on the island, causing minor damage but no casualties, while additional drones were intercepted shortly afterward.
