Cyprus budget airline to start Greece, UK flights
A Cyprus-based budget airline, Cobalt, announced on Wednesday it will launch passenger flights to Greece and Britain from June.
Cobalt said it was granted an Air Operator Certificate after a test flight with its first Cyprus-registered Airbus A320 from Larnaca to Iraklio.
Chairman Gregory Diacou said the carrier will begin flights to Athens on June 1, with UK and other European routes starting later next month.
By end-June, Cobalt aims to add three more aircraft to its fleet, raising the total to four flying out of Larnaca.
“We have generated more than 100 new jobs locally and hundreds more will follow. Cyprus needs and deserves a strong home carrier with global ambitions,” said Diacou.
He added the company also plans to fly to non-EU destinations, such as Israel, Lebanon, Russia, Iran and Egypt.
The shutdown of bankrupt national carrier Cyprus Airways in January 2015 created “a vacuum in terms of an airline that put Cyprus first and promotes the island as its home,” said Diacou.
[AFP]
