The Cyprus-Greece ferry will operate until 2027. What's next?

The ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece is secured until 2027. The government will decide next year whether it will continue to financially support the route after the current agreement ends.

The authorities emphasize that there is currently no threat to the operation of the connection, and future decisions will depend on, among other things, the number of passengers, operating costs and passenger interest.

The current contract runs until 2027.

The contract for operating the connection began in 2022 and was initially concluded for three years with the possibility of extension.

According to Kyriakos Aliouris, deputy director of the Shipping Department, the contract has been extended until 2027.

“The contractor is obligated to provide services in accordance with the terms of the contract until next summer,” he said.

According to a ministry representative, the sea connection between Cyprus and Greece will operate normally next year.

The future of the connection depends on the government's decision

The current state support was introduced because initially there was a lack of data on actual interest in the route.

After several years of operation, the ministry now has information that will be used to make decisions regarding further financing.

Aliouris stressed that it is currently too early to talk about either the end or the continuation of subsidies.

The operator warns about the costs

The head of Scandro Holding Ltd, Charalambos Manoli, pointed out that the continued operation of the route without renewed state support may be difficult.

According to him, the problems include, among others:

• high fuel costs,
• future CO₂ emissions fees,
• seasonal nature of the connection.

The ferry currently operates seasonally – from late May to early September.

The highest number of passengers in summer

The operator indicates that interest in the route is growing, but is still highly dependent on the season.

In June, an average of about 100 passengers traveled on one flight, while in July this number was around 200–250 people.

Flights are usually fully booked only in August.

According to the operator’s data, in 2026 the connection was used by approximately:

• 8,900 passengers,
• 2,700 cars,
• 371 animals.

For comparison, in 2025 it was:

• 8,238 passengers,
• 2,660 vehicles,
• 379 animals.

Ferry as an important alternative to plane

The sea connection is not only important for tourism.

As Aliouris pointed out, it is used by, among others, people who:

• they cannot travel by plane,
• have concerns about flights,
• they want to take the car to Greece,
• they travel with animals.

For many Cypriots, the ferry remains the only practical alternative to air travel.

The last cruise of the 2026 season

The current season of the route will end on September 1st. The last departure is scheduled from the port of Piraeus.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from the Cyprus News Agency and Cyprus Mail.