CYPRUS: Aegean and Blue Air say no to Paphos-Athens flights

Airlines Aegean and Blue Air are not interested in adding flights from Paphos to Athens to their schedules to cover the void left behind with the closure of Cypriot carrier Cobalt Air in October.

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Reportedly efforts were made by various financial and business players of the town, among them the Paphos airport operator Hermes Airports, to convince the two airliners to add an Athens route but to no avail.

According to Phileleftheros daily, sources say the two airlines made it clear that they do not intend to operate a Paphos-Athens route, considering that the profitability of such a flight is unsatisfactory compared to the existing coverage already provided via Larnaca.

Although the two companies have reportedly said that they would be willing to reconsider the issue in the future, this should not be expected to happen any time soon.

Reportedly the Greek and Romanian airlines do not share the concerns of Paphos residents who claim that a connection to Athens via the local airport is of national importance. The two companies argue that demand is being met with flights from Larnaca Airport.

“The issue is clearly a financial one, due to the high cost of running a second destination for Cyprus and the limited profitability of such a schedule,” an airline source told Phileleftheros.

It would appear, efforts made by Paphos business leaders have been put on ice for now.

However, they appear to be focusing on putting pressure on the government and the airport operator to find an air carrier willing to include Paphos Airport in its flight schedule, by offering similar incentives as those given to Ryanair.

Apart from weakening business activity, the lack of an Athens flight from Paphos could also affect tourist numbers to the popular resort destination.