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Vancouver Airport services celebrates grand opening of new terminal at Larnaka International Airport

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07-Nov-2009 More than 1,000 people from around the world are gathering in Larnaka, Cyprus for the inauguration of the much-anticipated new terminal at Larnaka International Airport. Vancouver Airport Services, along with colleague shareholders in Hermes Airports Limited, the Minister of State in charge of European Affairs Pierre Lellouche and other dignitaries, are attending a special ceremony today to unveil the new facility and celebrate the massive project’s success. The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, will be officiating at the opening and Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II will also attend to conduct the ceremony blessing.

The new building is significantly larger than the old terminal and now has the capacity to serve 7.5 million passengers annually or 3,217 passengers per hour. The terminal size has increased from 22,000 square metres to 100,000 square metres and a new 130,000 square metre taxiway has been built along with a new 170,000 square metre apron.

The entire facility took three years to build and is located approximately 500 metres west of the old terminal building. Its inauguration comes on the heels of last November's completion of a new terminal building at Cyprus' Pafos International Airport. To date, Hermes Airports Limited has invested €642.7 million in construction for both airports. Approximately €517 million was invested in Larnaka alone.

The new Larnaka facility will feature 67 check-in counters, 14 airline ticket desks, eight self check-in kiosks and 16 air-bridges. A new immigration hall spans 1,300 square metres and contains 18 immigration desks to serve nearly 2,000 arriving passengers per hour. Commercial space has increased from 3,000 square metres to 10,000 square metres and two lounges offer enhanced service choices to travellers prior to their flights. Additional parking stalls have also been created, allowing approximately 500 more vehicles to park at the airport.

Vancouver Airport Services acted on behalf of Hermes Airports Limited in overseeing the design and build contractor and ensuring that the terminals and staff were ready for operations at both Larnaka and Pafos International Airports. The company also worked closely with local resources and the contractor to ensure that the airports have a strong sense of place by incorporating Cypriot cultural elements into the design.

"We are proud to be a contributor to this milestone project for Cyprus and are particularly proud to have instilled a Cypriot Sense of Place into the design," says George Casey, president and CEO of Vancouver Airport Services. "This new Larnaka terminal was completed on time and within the approved budget. It will provide the highest level of service to travellers and further positions Cyprus as a competitive tourist destination. The successful completion of the project would not have been possible without the tremendous effort and support from the Hermes team, including Mr. Shacolas, Chairman of the Hermes Board, and other Cypriot partners."

The opening of the new terminal is being completed in two phases so as not to disrupt passenger service. Cyprus Airways and easyJet will begin operations in the new terminal on November 10, 2009 while all other airlines will transfer operations by November 17.

Larnaka Airport is the largest airport in Cyprus and serves as the country's main international gateway. The new terminal comprises the first phase of a major rejuvenation project occurring at the airport. The second phase will grow the terminal further to accommodate nine million passengers annually and will extend the runway by 500 metres to 3,500 metres.

"Together with our partners, we have an overall goal of bringing world-class airport services to Cyprus," adds Casey. "We believe the new terminal shows our collective commitment to that objective. We are honoured to have brought our international experience and hallmark Local Sense of Place to this project."

Hermes Airports Limited took over operation of Larnaka and Pafos International Airports in 2006 and was awarded a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) concession agreement with the government of Cyprus.