The Irish LCC is already the largest operator at the airport by capacity and plans to further increase its footprint during the upcoming winter season.
The ‘new’ Cyprus Airways is set to launch flights as early as this month with an initial fleet of two Airbus A319s. It plans to operate flights linking Larnaca and Paphos to destinations in Greece, Russia and the UK where it is understood to be seeking to fly to London Stansted, Manchester and Glasgow.
In the highly competitive world of leisure travel, the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus is an increasingly sought-after destination. But it’s not just the draw of Cyprus’ crystal waters or 6,000 year-old artifacts: this record growth is the result of airport investment, strategic partnerships and focused destination marketing efforts spearheaded by Hermes Airports.
In recent years, Cyprus has solidified its status as a tourist destination with passenger numbers rising steadily. In 2015, the number of tourist arrivals to the island hit a 14-year high at 2.65 million. The first quarter of 2016 has already seen a 32.4 percent increase compared to the same timeframe in 2015.
British low-cost airline, Jet2 has announced a total of twelve new routes from Edinburgh Airport next summer, bringing the total of routes operated by the airline to 26.
According to airport operator Hermes Airports, the operations of Transavia in Cyprus, is a result of the coordinated actions of the company in collaboration with the stakeholders of the tourism industry of the country and will help contribute to the efforts to increase the tourist flows into Cyprus from mainland Europe.
The Australian-backed business submitted an application for a Cypriot Air Operator’s Certificate to the Department of Civil Aviation last week and has already registered as a local company on the island, according to sources in Cyprus, although it could take three to four months for the legislative process to be followed and the airline secure final approval for its launch.
The closure of the carrier follows a ruling from the European Commission that the Cypriot government had breached rules on support for struggling companies when it offered state support to the ailing carrier between 2007 and 2013 and that the carrier must repay over €65 million of illegal state aid.
The company’s inventory for its Thomson and all-inclusive First Choice businesses includes holiday packages from Bristol to Cape Verde, Cyprus and Egypt which will see Thomson Airways and its partners offer new links to Sal in Cape Verde, Hurghada in Egypt and Paphos in Cyprus.
Two international airports basking under 300-plus days of sunshine per year in the middle of the Eastern Mediterranean have cause to celebrate a banner year as Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport together welcomed a record 11 new carriers to Cyprus in 2014 alone.
