Cypriot holidaymakers planning a summer getaway will have to dig deep into their pockets just to get off the ground, as airfares, especially for Greece, have skyrocketed during the holiday season.
Not having any other way to get off the island, holidaymakers flying to any destination are expected to dish out a significant amount on airfares. Those choosing Greek destinations will have to pay even more as airfares to Athens and the Greek islands are pricier than going to Madrid or Vienna.
Higher prices are linked to the void left by the demise of Cobalt Air which according to data carried some 120,000 passengers a year. Cypriot carrier Cobalt pushed down prices in an effort to take a significant chunk of the Cyprus travel market.
A survey by daily Phileleftheros showed return air tickets from Larnaca to Athens in mid-July range from €150 to €170 (prices quoted do not include extra luggage).
Prices from the beginning of August range from €170 to €180 and from 15 August till the end of the summer season fares are €200 to €220.
Air tickets to Thessaloniki with a departure date in mid-July, range from €200 to €230. Prices before August 15 are between €240 and €260.
In the week including 15 August prices reach €300. Destinations to the Greek islands are even more expensive.
Direct flights to Rhodes in mid-July range from €288 to €350, while for some dates the peak is €430. During the week of 15 August, prices hover around €400.
For a flight to Heraklion in mid-August, prices range €328-€338 while in mid-July it cost between €210 and €230. If one chooses to travel to popular Santorini in mid-July prices are on average €330 rising to €400. In mid-August, prices spike at €470 to €580.
Meanwhile, prices for European cities seem to be lower. A return ticket to Paris will cost holidaymakers anything between €280 and €400.
Air tickets in mid-August to the French capital are between €200 and €350.
Vienna appears to be a cheaper destination, regarding airfares, as prices start from €130 in mid-July and vary between €200 and €300 in August. Holidaymakers heading for Madrid will find tickets in July for around €200 to €300.
The rise in airfare prices has reheated the discussion over Cyprus' connectivity with the rest of the world once again after the Cobalt airline closure.
While there is much talk of the island taking advantage of its geographical position to become a conference and business hub, connectivity seems to be becoming more and more of an issue.
With the demise of Cobalt, direct flights to a number of Europe’s capitals were removed from the schedule. In some cases, Cobalt was the only air carrier flying direct to major EU capitals such as Paris, Madrid and Dublin.
After Cobalt folded last year, travellers wanting to fly from or to these capitals have been forced to get time-consuming connecting flights.
Time needed to fly to the above-mentioned destinations has at best doubled, with travellers to Paris needing to spend at least 7 hours on a plane, 8 hours to reach Madrid and 9 to get to Dublin.
Price Hikes
Transport Minister Vassiliki Anastasiadou, at a recent meeting of EU Transport ministers, expressed fears that a proposal to clamp down on aircraft CO2 emissions by imposing new taxes would leave Cypriots isolated from the rest of the EU.
“Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by the aviation industry should not make ticket prices prohibitive for citizens of Cyprus and other EU regions with no other link to mainland Europe,” she said in her statement at the EU Transport and Telecoms Council last week.
As the issue of air pollutants was one of the main items on the agenda for the Transport Ministers meeting, Anastasiadou warned her counterparts that "airline connectivity and prices affect Cyprus' competitiveness as a tourist destination but also the quality of the lives of all the inhabitants of our country".
She insisted that any decision on the matter should take into consideration the particular circumstances of all member states.
"Without an affordable air link, the inhabitants of Cyprus will be isolated and with serious disadvantages compared to the residents of other Member States"
Hermes Airports told the Financial Mirror that they are aware of the situation and are working vigorously to solve the issues.
An official said that as a result of its work with stakeholders some 200,000 seats have been added to the schedule this summer alone. According to data provided, more than half are from Israel.
“We will continue efforts with stakeholders in the Cyprus aviation and tourism industries to convince more airlines to add seats to and from destinations which are Cyprus’ key markets,” said the official.
Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios said last week that some 50,000 seats have been added to the flight schedule to Cyprus this summer.
The difference between the figures given by Hermes and the Deputy Minister is attributable to Hermes calculating all seats added including chartered flights, while Perdios was referring to scheduled flights only.
A source from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism said that high prices are to an extent linked to high taxes imposed by Hermes to airlines coming to Cyprus.
The source noted that the company managing Cyprus’ Airports should be more considerate with its tax policy, as Cyprus’ is dependent on its tourism industry and locals can only leave the island by hopping on a plane.
Avoid travel in August
Honorary president of the Association of Cyprus Tourist Agents, Victor Mantovani confirmed in an interview on Sigma TV, that airfares during the summer have increased significantly, making holiday getaways for locals in August difficult and costly.
Mantovani urged Cypriots to avoid traveling in August entirely and to book their holidays months in advance.
He also confirmed that travelling to Greece and its islands will cost travellers hundreds of euros, noting that airfares to other EU capitals will cost less.
Greek destinations are expensive due to high demand and shortage in supply of flights.
Talking to the Financial Mirror, Vasilis Stamataris, the President of Cyprus travel agents, said that prices are not as inflated as they would appear.
He admitted that during the Cobalt era prices were lower, but that was because of Cobalt offering prices which in some cases were below cost, which was one of the reasons behind the airline’s demise.
“We have witnessed that prices have dropped after the Easter holiday and returned to what we consider as normal and sustainable prices”.
He said when talking about prices, we should always keep in mind that airline costs are very high, and they need to be able to operate sustainable flights to and from Cyprus.
“Putting pressure on these companies to bring down prices would only lead to them abandoning their schedule to Cyprus, as they are already squeezed,” said Stamataris.
He believes airports operator Hermes is applying high taxes because of the running costs needed. “Paphos airport especially has seen a huge increase in air traffic. The airport will soon need an expansion,” said Stamataris.
He advised travellers to be wiser when booking their holidays, as they can find affordable tickets even for expensive destinations such as Greece.
“Prices for Greece are quite high during the peak season due to demand. However, one can find a return ticket for Athens for €140-160. We advise travellers not to search for flights at weekends or dates on which big events take place in the country.”
