Cyprus airways.

[Babylon]

I have just heard that Cyprus airways stoped operating by the government. Sad news for all who works there.

[500 above]

Other thread here with news links.

Sad day indeed.

http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airports-routes/554342-cyprus-airways-brink.html

[UK019]

Sadly true BBC News - Cyprus Airways shuts down after order to repay state aid (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30754232)

[RAT 5]

So what is MOL going to do?

[Jwscud]

I believe once the state aid case became known, none of the former prospective buyers were interested.

[500 above]

MOL has applied for a Cypriot AOC.

[kotakota]

So has Aegean , more than likely to be successful .

[no sponsor]

Funny how the EU didn't apply those rules to Alitalia or Air France. How the Cypriot govt accepts that is beyond me. In the meantime Emirates, Qatar and Etihad continue to operate 777s to every runway in Europe. (Or so it seems)

[MCDU2]

Indeed seems like a spectacular own goal. Whilst the Greeks are voting the EU puts the national airline of a closely allied state out of business causing untold job losses. I am sure a more diplomatic approach could have been taken and the Cypriots shown the light and given an exemption whilst they prepare a work around such as the PSO routes in Ireland. Merkel must be banging her head.

[kotakota]

It's very nice to be sympathetic towards CY , but have any of you really studied the facts of how CY has been run into the ground in the last 10 years ? I will not list them again here , unless someone requests them , but I had the chance to fly for Eurocypria , a ' low-cost ' offshoot of CY , and was appalled at the lack of ambition and forward thinking by the management / boards of both airlines which has led to their twin demises , while Easyjet have cleaned up flying routes to UK that the Cypriots sniffed at . CYs abandonment of Paphos and all it's potential frankly amazed me . When winter business was particularly bad , I enquired why we did not offer a daily flight to Gatwick where 30k Brits were desperate to have one . I was told , sniffily , that Eurocypria did not do schedules , that was CYs business . Problem was , CY couldn't find Paphos airport on a small scale map ,it was so far from Nicosia , the golden city . Ergo , Easyjet have cleaned up , and Cyprus today does not have a single airline .
I hope that any attempt to launch a new one does not involve ANYBODY from the old debacle , especially Union members .

[kotakota]

Oh , and please don't fall into the trap of blaming the EU . When you join a Big Boys club you have to read and obey the rules . If you want to remain a 3rd world country , then don't join , and your unions and airlines can do what they want . The papers in Cyprus today are full of unions blaming everybody else , which is the way of people who do not understand that they are culpable for their actions . Now that their are no airlines , perhaps the government wil do themselves , and every Cypriot taxpayer , a favour by never allowing another union near any new venture . Priorities should only be safety and viability . End of rant from a very disappointed aviator who loved flying in Cyprus and met some great people who have been let down by their ' leaders' .

[Avenger]

I'm frankly not surprised. The airline has been limping along staff heavy for years, I recall a time when if you knew anyone in CY then your relatives got a job, ratio was at least 8/1 staff to pilots..It is a real shame for the airline but the truth is many reaped benefits at a time the airline relied on external support to prop up the " old regime" good luck to all those concerned..

[Shaman]

If you can't manage the whole article - Cyprus Airways: over and out | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/11/cyprus-airways-over-and-out/) - read the para commencing Back on the island for a flavour of aviation life in Cyprus.

[FERetd]

kotakota Quote:-"When you join a Big Boys club you have to read and obey the rules . If you want to remain a 3rd world country , then don't join"

kotakota, the list of third world countries within the EU is quite long.

I think you have just shot your own argument to pieces.

There may well have been corruption and mismanagement (reportedly) at CY, but it was the EU that brought it down. There is nothing left to restructure and hundreds have lost there jobs. Surely there was another more persuasive and less painful way?

[500 above]

There may well have been corruption and mismanagement (reportedly)

Thank you, that really made my morning! :)

[kotakota]

Feretd , and how many of these so called 3rd world countries have a government supported airline ? I can think of quite a few that went to the wall in the last ten years , because their governments stopped throwing money at them . Cyprus was a bit slow .
'. The EU brought it down ' ? I suggest you find the App for the Cyprus Mail and read all the articles and editorials from last Sundays edition . All written by Cypriots , except one written by an ex-expat Captain . You might moderate your view of this .

[500 above]

CY protestors block road outside Presidential Palace (http://incyprus.philenews.com/en-gb/local-news/4422/43988/cy-protestors-block-road-outside-presidential-palace)

So the staff are protesting to, amongst other things, be given priority if a new airline forms... Will probably want the same union representation...

Romania's Blue Air have started LCA-TSL and LCA-ATH and Aegean have four aircraft for LCA base. PFO, the 'poor cousin' of Cyprus airports may well have increased services and new services in the near future.

“What we are concerned with now is securing that all employees receive full benefits. Meanwhile, the state will focus its power into creating a new airline, working with the private sector, and will do anything in our power to ensure that most of the CY employees are hired by the new company,” said the president.

Emotional protests over CY closure | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/12/eomotional-protests-over-cy-closure/)

http://incyprus.philenews.com/en-gb/local-news/4422/43976/aegean-airlines-eyeing-big-cyprus-move

[kotakota]

I was told last week , before CYs demise , that a lot of Aegean crew were seen applying for Paphos Security Passes ....anybody care to comment ?

[500 above]

Couldn't possibly comment, I was in that same pass office...

It's no secret that Aegean are starting a PFO-ATH though.

Aegean announces new routes from Cyprus (http://incyprus.philenews.com/en-gb/local-news/4422/44000/aegean-announces-new-routes-from-cyprus)