View Full Version : Cyprus Airways
500 above
9th Jan 2015, 15:31
Looks like Cyprus Airways is about to operate its last flight.
Commission rules against national carrier ? official (Update 1) | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/09/commission-rules-against-national-carrier-reports/)
mikkie4
9th Jan 2015, 15:39
All gone very quiet at RYANAIR are they still interested?
500 above
9th Jan 2015, 16:16
No. MOL has applied for his own Cypriot AOC.
Final CY flight tonight from Athens to Larnaca.
whitelighter
9th Jan 2015, 16:46
A shame - one more set of tail colours consigned to the annuls of history
Flightwatch
9th Jan 2015, 16:54
A new update.
Commission rules against Cyprus Airways – official (Update 2: adds quotes)
Commission rules against Cyprus Airways ? official (Update 2: adds quotes) | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/09/commission-rules-against-national-carrier-reports/)
And another article explaining that the government is picking up the tab for all stranded pax - very generous, but I suppose it was government owned.
Alternative arrangements for CY passengers.
Alternative arrangements for CY passengers | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/09/alternative-arrangements-for-cy-passengers/)
Flightwatch
9th Jan 2015, 17:00
Aegean jumped the gun by one day - this announcement made yesterday.
Aegean to operate daily Larnaca-Tel Aviv flights
Aegean to operate daily Larnaca-Tel Aviv flights | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/08/aegean-to-operate-daily-larnaca-tel-aviv-flights/)
500 above
9th Jan 2015, 17:55
The government have bought the CY logo and name. They hope to form a new flag carrier in the coming months...
Passengers offered alternatives as Cyprus Airways closes (http://incyprus.philenews.com/en-gb/local-news/4422/43917/passengers-offered-alternatives-as-cyprus-airways-closes)
akerosid
9th Jan 2015, 17:59
Sadly, another European flag carrier was closed down today, Cyprus Airways, after nearly seventy years in operation.
uk-eu-subsidies-cyprus-airways-idUKKBN0KI1MI20150109
State aid was ruled illegal and the company was ordered to repay some €65m, which it is not in a position to do.
The airline has operated a varied fleet over the years, from Tridents to 707s, A310s, A320s A330s and A321s. Its current fleet consists of A320s. Sadly, it look likely that the only aircraft which is likely to retain Cyprus Airways titles is the Trident long abandoned at Nicosia Airport.
Photo: 5B-DCL (CN: 2334) Cyprus Airways Airbus A320-232 by John Fitzpatrick Photoid: 7370743 - JetPhotos.Net (http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7370743)
Sad. I was in Cyprus with the UN when they received their first Trident "DAA". While they were crew training it was common to hear "Cyprus Double A" on frequency.
HEATHROW DIRECTOR
9th Jan 2015, 18:32
Very sad news..
ATC Watcher
9th Jan 2015, 20:03
Very sad indeed. and in 70 years they never had an accident ( except the Comet in the 60's but it was operated by BEA and it was a bomb if I remember)
I flew with them regularly in the past. feel sorry for them and their situation in the island, they did not need that.
500 above
9th Jan 2015, 20:07
It is rumoured that it will resurrect.
Passengers offered alternatives as Cyprus Airways closes (http://incyprus.philenews.com/en-gb/local-news/4422/43917/passengers-offered-alternatives-as-cyprus-airways-closes)
FlamantRose
10th Jan 2015, 02:13
@ ATC Watcher
Very sad indeed. and in 70 years they never had an accident ( except the Comet in the 60's but it was operated by BEA and it was a bomb if I remember)
Agree entirely the Comet was G-ARCO in 1967 and the skipper, if my memory does not fail me, was Capt Blackburn. A very nice guy. As far as I remember the bomb was put o/b by a maintenance rep in LHR. I don't recall who was targeted but he wasn't on the flight stop.
At that time I was working for BEA in LBG.
crewmeal
10th Jan 2015, 05:32
And the thought of FR picking up the pieces makes it even worse with their style of service.
Hotel Tango
10th Jan 2015, 07:54
Amen to that!
Flightwatch
10th Jan 2015, 11:04
A new CY may arise from the ashes.
Government wants new privately owned Cyprus Airways , minister says (http://cyprusbusinessmail.com/?p=3204)
Heathrow Harry
10th Jan 2015, 15:47
why bother - they could get THY in instead................
mikedreamer787
11th Jan 2015, 03:59
Just read in the paper that Cyprus has decided to close shop after the EU ordered 65m Euros in 'illegal' State Aid to be paid back by the airline.
Cyprus Airways closed down after EU ruling - RTÉ News (http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2015/0109/671556-cyprus-airways/)
Cyprus Airways shuts down after order to repay state aid leaves it bankrupt - Business News - Business - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/cyprus-airways-shuts-down-after-order-to-repay-state-aid-leaves-it-bankrupt-9969250.html)
BBC News - Cyprus Airways shuts down after order to repay state aid (http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30754232)
So who ultimately wrecked the airline? The EU? The Cypriot government? Or both?
DARK MATTER
11th Jan 2015, 06:28
The fault does not lie at the door of the EU - so go figure.
There is a massive back-story of greed, corruption, poor management, inefficiencies and political 'manipulation'. Oh and more greed.....
Many years ago, CY was a GOOD airline, shame it had to end this way.
500 above
11th Jan 2015, 07:32
Heathrow Harry, if that's an attempt at humour then please do not give up your day job. That's a touchy subject over here.
DARK MATTER
11th Jan 2015, 08:19
Those of you with a passing interest, may wish to peruse this just published Cyprus Mail article. It succinctly maps out the reasons for the demise of this once proud airline.
Cyprus Airways downfall was always just a matter of time | Cyprus Mail (http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/01/11/cyprus-airways-downfall-was-always-just-a-matter-of-time/)
oldart
11th Jan 2015, 08:53
At least four ex Cy A320's have taken off from Lca and heading NW in the past hour. 5BDCH, 5BDCJ, 5BDCK and 5BDCM.
TheTravellingBookie
11th Jan 2015, 09:16
Off to St Athan? (EGDX)
Capetonian
11th Jan 2015, 09:33
Why have CY been picked on?
What about AF and AZ for a start, which have been the beneficiaries of state/EU support?
A great shame for Cyprus and yet another blow to its pride struck by the dictatorship of the Evil Union.
mikedreamer787
11th Jan 2015, 09:59
Thanks Mr Matter.
Had a mate with Cyprus but nothing
heard from him for a year or so. He
did tell me the place was on a breath
away from collapse even back then.
Hotel Tango
11th Jan 2015, 10:11
Looks like those A320s are heading for the UK, or possibly Ireland.
de facto
11th Jan 2015, 10:13
Im sure the crews will get placed very soon with so many airlines bleeding for pilots..:ok:
Hotel Tango
11th Jan 2015, 10:20
My spies tell me they are on the way to St Athan in Wales!
Hotel Tango
11th Jan 2015, 10:22
Four A320s are presently in the air on their way to St Athan in Wales.
ironbutt57
11th Jan 2015, 12:22
Hmmm...wonder why there?
Andy_S
11th Jan 2015, 12:56
A great shame for Cyprus and yet another blow to its pride struck by the dictatorship of the Evil Union.
I'm no more of a fan of the EU than you, but the blame lies much closer to home.
They were a basket case of a company and I can see no good reason for good money to be thrown after bad.
oldart
11th Jan 2015, 12:57
My spies tell me they are on the way to St Athan in Wales!
Correct, four at least landing now!
Herod
11th Jan 2015, 13:49
Bruce Dickenson's maintenance facility?
ironbutt57
11th Jan 2015, 13:56
Brucie is at Cardiff couple miles away..St Athan is an MOD airport..
WindSheer
11th Jan 2015, 14:14
Negative.
Bruce is at St Athan.
BA are at Cardiff.
rutankrd
11th Jan 2015, 14:50
Those four are the entire leased fleet.
Just one 5B-DBB owned by the Cypriot Authorities now remains in Larnaca
ironbutt57
11th Jan 2015, 15:05
I stand corrected..strange..thought St Athan EGDX was daylight only..
Airclues
11th Jan 2015, 16:52
thought St Athan EGDX was daylight only
They landed during daylight.
The 185 Radial
11th Jan 2015, 21:50
St Athan is available during daylight hours and at night.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/modstathan/rafcms/mediafiles/18C160BD_5056_A318_A81CBC6557F85A3D.pdf
groundhogbhx
12th Jan 2015, 09:21
In the days that I used to handle CY flights the thing that struck me was the easy life the crews had. For any other airline UK to Cyprus and back was a normal day, but CY was always a crew change and the flightdeck would fly back to Cyprus on the aircraft they brought but in as passengers!
Hotel Tango
12th Jan 2015, 09:30
Just for info. As is their right, the mods have combined two separate threads which were running. That accounts for the seemingly odd continuity of some of the above posts.
Fairdealfrank
12th Jan 2015, 10:06
Why have CY been picked on?
What about AF and AZ for a start, which have been the beneficiaries of state/EU support?
A great shame for Cyprus and yet another blow to its pride struck by the dictatorship of the Evil Union.
You've answered your own question, it's the nature of the European Union. The first countries to drive a coach and horses through the "Maastrict criteria" were ........ France and Germany.
More recently, the "troika" imposed stringent bailout conditions on Greece, Ireland and Portugal, but not on the much bigger Italy and Spain.
Cyprus being the smallest was clobbered the hardest. Didn't they raid peoples' bank accounts there?
It's the ludicrous single market that makes state aid illegal. Regretably, that was the final nail in the coffin for CY.
appfo09
12th Jan 2015, 18:30
Cyprus Airways
Announcement
Nicosia
9 January 2015
Dear Passengers,
Following the adverse decision of the European Commission for Competition, issued today, on the application of the Republic of Cyprus of a Restructuring Plan for Cyprus Airways (Public) Ltd submitted in October 2013, the Board of Directors of Cyprus Airways has decided to initiate the procedure for voluntary liquidation and to that effect all necessary measures will be taken.
In the context of the above decision all operations of the company will be suspended as of the close of business today.
Cyprus Airways would like to warmly thank the millions of passengers who flew with the airline over the years, for their choice and support. Special thanks are also expressed to the staff of the airline as well as its associates, whose professionalism and dedication were always at the service of the passengers.
We are extremely honoured to have made a valuable contribution, over the last 68 years, to the development of the economy of Cyprus and its tourism industry in particular. We have flown the flag of our country worldwide with pride.
The government of Cyprus announced that it has decided to offer alternative arrangements to all passengers who have Cyprus Airways tickets. The cost of all alternative arrangements will be undertaken by the Republic.
The affected passengers of Cyprus Airways, who have arranged their travel with departure days up to and until 9/2/2015, can immediately contact the travel agency Top Kinisis Travel Public at the national telephone number 77787878, or if they are calling from overseas at the telephone number
+357 22869999, in order to arrange for the issuance of a new flight ticket. For the remaining passengers, with departure date from 10/2/2015 and onwards, a new announcement will be made in the coming days.
Additional information will be given for the arrangements that are made and/or other useful information for the passengers, on the website of the travel agency TOP KINISIS TRAVEL PUBLIC LTD (http://www.topkinisis.com).
Thank you.
MentionTheWar
13th Oct 2017, 16:01
@ ATC Watcher
Agree entirely the Comet was G-ARCO in 1967 and the skipper, if my memory does not fail me, was Capt Blackburn. A very nice guy. As far as I remember the bomb was put o/b by a maintenance rep in LHR. I don't recall who was targeted but he wasn't on the flight stop.
At that time I was working for BEA in LBG.
The pilot was Captain Gordon Blackwood. He was, indeed, a very nice chap and was a neighbour and good friend of my family. I remember him well. My father was on Tridents and tried to convince Gordon to switch to Trident fleet. I also met the first officer on the flight, Tony Palmer, when he visited us.
FlamantRose, I am writing a book on this loss. Can you point me in the direction of the source of the info about the engineer planting the bomb? I hadn't heard that theory.
rog747
13th Oct 2017, 17:33
@ ATC Watcher
Agree entirely the Comet was G-ARCO in 1967 and the skipper, if my memory does not fail me, was Capt Blackburn. A very nice guy. As far as I remember the bomb was put o/b by a maintenance rep in LHR. I don't recall who was targeted but he wasn't on the flight stop.
At that time I was working for BEA in LBG.
FYI new post today
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/600658-research-into-loss-bea-comet-g-arco-1967-a.html
DaveReidUK
13th Oct 2017, 20:40
FlamantRose, I am writing a book on this loss. Can you point me in the direction of the source of the info about the engineer planting the bomb? I hadn't heard that theory.
I'd be fascinated to know, too. That has certainly been kept quiet for the last 50 years. :O
BHXvine
29th May 2019, 15:08
In the days that I used to handle CY flights the thing that struck me was the easy life the crews had. For any other airline UK to Cyprus and back was a normal day, but CY was always a crew change and the flightdeck would fly back to Cyprus on the aircraft they brought but in as passengers!
Ah, good old CY. Typically laid back. I remember the first officer one evening showing me how the crew get away with smoking on board by puffing away with their heads in the galley sink (one at a time, obviously!), the downdraught into the plug hole sucking down any smoke!