Search

1. Cyprus airports ready to welcome thousands of arrivals

Cyprus airports are ready to welcome thousands of passengers and an increased number of flights as of mid-May, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said Wednesday....

2. Cyprus wages battle for air connectivity

Two Cypriot ministers have joined forces this week to call on the EU’s Competition commissioner to allow more state subsidies for airlines amid the pandemic, citing improvements in scheme criteria but also the remoteness of the island...

3. Moscow blames ban on Cyprus Airways

Cypriot Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos says the government will do whatever necessary to overcome a disembarkation ban by Moscow, while reports say Russian aviation authorities imposed the ban on Cyprus Airways over the company’s failure to provide a passenger list...

4. Winter season a window of opportunity for tourism

With the tourism sector’s performance this summer having refuted even the most optimistic forecasts that were made, the question for tour operators is what more can be done over the next period to reduce the big losses. As such, everyone's attention has shifted to the winter period that begins next November and ends in March 2021....

5. Transport ministry proposes EU Flight Pass based on local model

The Cyprus transport ministry sent a non-paper calling for a joint approach by all EU member states in addressing the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on air transport....

6. Commission approves €6.3m incentive scheme to boost Cyprus air connectivity

The European Commission on Thursday approved a €6.3 million incentive scheme aiming to boost Cyprus air connectivity and tourism through incentivizing airlines affected by the coronavirus outbreak to re-establish air routes to and from the island....

7. North sending mixed signals over opening to Turkey on July 1

The Turkish Cypriot administration was giving off mixed signals over plans to restore connectivity with Turkey on July 1, with head of the administration Ersin Tatar stating Thursday it had decided to stick to the decision and double-check arrivals for the virus, contradicting statements made Wednesday by Kudret Ozersay, in charge of foreign affairs in the north, who said that the administration had failed to reach a final decision and was considering to re-evaluate the move....

8. Cyprus airports enter phase two on Saturday

The opening of Cyprus airports is set to enter phase two on Saturday, when passengers arriving from countries listed in category A by the Health Ministry will not need to present proof of a negative coronavirus test, but will be subjected to a mandatory rapid test upon arrival....

9. Perdios: Cyprus expects just 30% of last year’s tourists

Cyprus expects to attract just 30% of the four million tourists that visited the island last year, deputy minister for tourism Savvas Perdios said, claiming that this year will without a doubt be very tough for the local tourism sector, but the epidemiological data of the island and countries from which it expects tourists will ultimately have the final say....

10. New scheme to subsidize airlines conducting flights with low occupancy

Transport minister Yiannis Karousos on Wednesday announced a new scheme that will support airlines in view of stimulating passenger traffic....

11. FinMin delves into details of 'new, more targeted measures'

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides held a press conference on Thursday to delve into the details of the new bundle of economic support measures announced by President Nicos Anastasiades in a televised national address Wednesday night....

12. Cyprus expects 600,000 tourists by August

The island is expected to receive some 600,000 passengers in August, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said Thursday, noting that this estimation includes people flying in on commercial and private planes....

13. Cyprus to foot the bill for infected tourists

The Republic of Cyprus is pledging to cover all costs for anyone testing positive for the coronavirus while on vacation on the eastern Mediterranean island nation...

14. Sir Stelios wages battle against board

EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou had some harsh words to say about the company’s finance director, with the Greek Cypriot billionaire renewing his call to whistleblowers to help with useful information to scrap an Airbus deal...

15. Republic of Cyprus starts its biggest engine

A new presidential address to the nation on Wednesday is expected to set the tone as the Republic of Cyprus is gearing up for the summer season but debate over health concerns and social distancing still rages on...

16. Empty middle seat? Depends on which country you are flying in

In Thailand, you cannot have food or water in flight and must wear a mask. In Malaysia and Indonesia, the plane needs to be half-empty. In the United States and Europe, it’s not mandatory for airlines to leave the middle seat open....

17. Medical supplies arrive after eventful flight

Another huge load of medical supplies from China was delivered to the Republic of Cyprus on Wednesday, after an “adventurous” flight on a Russian aircraft that did not have enough fuel to make it in one go...

18. EU pushes to unlock borders as coronavirus ravages travel

19. Cyprus extends flight ban but has a plan

Cyprus on Monday extended a ban on commercial flights into and out of the country until May 28 as the government considers ways to restore the country’s tourism industry to meet an anticipated swell in demand from vacationers eager to escape coronavirus lockdowns...

20. The four phases of Cyprus' lockdown exit roadmap

The Health Minister on Thursday gave a detailed overview of the four phases of Cyprus’ lockdown exit roadmap, which will be subject to adjustments based on how well the island responds to the gradual easing of restrictions....

21. EU governments risk clash with EU exec in bid to save tourism season

European Union governments risk a clash with the EU executive arm over their support for travel firms issuing vouchers for cancelled holiday deals without giving customers the option of cash refunds as required by EU law, diplomats said....

22. New decree allows repatriation of all legal residents

By Thursday, a sum of 9,282 students abroad who chose to remain put amid the coronavirus outbreak had received a €750 government benefit, as promised last month....

23. Critical medical supplies delivered to Cyprus

An Aegean flight from China touched down in Larnaca on Saturday night, carrying medical supplies including personal protective equipment urgently needed by health workers in the Republic of Cyprus...

24. Help from China on the way

The Chinese ambassador in Nicosia says Cyprus has recently taken “powerful and appropriate” measures in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, adding that help from China is on the way...

25. Over 1200 Cyprus citizens repatriated last week

With the universal flight ban in place since Saturday, several rescue flights continued to fly in and out of Cyprus through the weekend, with one flight departing for Moscow on Monday afternoon to repatriate Russians stranded on the island following the Covid-19 outbreak....

26. Officials cave in after airport tension

Government officials got a taste of their own medicine on Monday after students who flew in without complying with the latest coronavirus guidelines were granted an exception after hours of tension at the airports and inside the plane...

27. New government travel restriction leaves thousands of Cypriots trapped abroad

Thousands of Cyprus nationals have reportedly been trapped abroad after the government said it would not allow entry to arrivals without valid health certificates, but labs abroad say they are following protocols whereby checks are only conducted on those showing symptoms....

28. Three killed in Istanbul plane crash

A Pegasus Airlines plane flying into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport skidded off the end of a wet runway and broke into three pieces after landing on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring 179...

29. Novel coronavirus: The profile of victims

The death toll from the coronavirus epidemic rose to 490 in China on Wednesday, when two US airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong after the first coronavirus fatality was recorded, and a cruise ship was quarantined in Japan after 10 passengers tested positive for the virus....

30. Video shows plane going down in Tehran

A Ukrainian airliner crashed soon after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport on Wednesday, killing all 176 people aboard, Iran’s state television and Ukraine’s leaders said...