TRAVEL: Boeing 737 Max flight ban unlikely to affect Cyprus

Compliance with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) directive to suspend all Boeing 737 MAX operations in Europe is unlikely to harm Cyprus, Head of Safety Regulation Unit at Civil Aviation, Andreas Paspalides told CNA.

The EASA announced the directive following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa on Sunday killing all 157 people on board.

The crash happened less than five months after a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max 8 went down in Indonesia in October, killing all 157 people on board.

EASA has published a Safety Directive, suspending all commercial flights of Boeing 737 models performed by third-country operators within or out of the EU.

Paspalides said the ban will only affect companies that have such aircraft, adding that they can replace these aircraft and carry people to Cyprus on different planes. “No negative impact on Cyprus is expected.”

No such aircraft are included in Cypriot-registered fleets, Paspalides added.

He said Cyprus is complying with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) until further notice.