When technical woes extend your Roman holiday

Passengers of a Cyprus Airways flight, initially scheduled to arrive in Cyprus on August 29th, will finally touch down on the island at around 1800 local time due to a technical glitch that kept them marooned in Rome.

Stranded at Rome's Fiumicino airport, the 176 passengers and crew found themselves in a predicament. The Ministry of Transport was inundated with complaints and subsequently engaged the airline for explanations.

In a statement, the Ministry announced that the company is diligently working to rearrange the flight's schedule, with an anticipated landing at Larnaka Airport around 1800.

According to the company, the technical issue has been rectified. Collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Transport Ministry reached out to the Embassy in Rome, instructing them to assist all passengers, particularly those who are vulnerable.

Both the Transport Ministry and the Department of Civil Aviation are closely overseeing the situation, aiming to provide comprehensive aid to the affected flight's passengers. They are guided by the European Regulation EU261/2004, which focuses on passenger rights.

Earlier, Cyprus Airways Chief Commercial Officer Christos Limnatitis disclosed that the technical issue surfaced on Tuesday evening. Consequently, passengers and crew were relocated to hotels. This process proved challenging within the span of a few hours, as finding available accommodations was a task. A necessary spare part for the repair was ordered on Wednesday morning and delivered late the same evening. Limnatitis noted that passengers were informed today and retrieved from their hotels around noon, then transported to the airport. The flight's arrival in Cyprus is expected around 1800.

Acknowledging the difficulties families with children encountered during the extended hotel stay, Limnatitis explained that Wednesday was an arduous day for the company, and returning to Cyprus was the only viable option for passengers. He stressed that August is a peak travel month, with numerous passengers returning home.

Limnatitis further conveyed that the company exhaustively explored various solutions yesterday and undertook measures to facilitate the passengers' return home. He emphasized that passenger safety remains the company's foremost priority.