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COVID19: Cyprus Airways resumes Athens flights in June

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Cyprus Airways will resume flights to Athens next month after the government decided that Larnaca and Paphos airports will reopen on 9 June for flights from a select list of countries which include Greece.

The Cypriot carrier said it is ready to resume operations by introducing measures to ensure the health and safety of its passengers and staff, “always in line with information and instructions from local health authorities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)”.

Cyprus has been identified as one of the safest destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic after keeping its infection rate at low levels compared to other European countries.

The New York post considers Cyprus as a “safe haven from the coronavirus”.

Under a revised summer schedule, Cyprus Airways is planning to operate flights to 5 destinations in Greece: Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes and Skiathos.

In Europe, Cyprus Airways will land at two cosmopolitan hubs in Switzerland (Zurich and Geneva) and the company will continue its operations to Tel Aviv (Israel).

Flights to Athens will start on 9 June and to all other destinations, at the beginning of July 2020.

George Mavrocostas, Chief Operations Officer of Cyprus Airways, stated: “We are very excited that after 3 months of   paused operations due to COVID-19, we will soon and gradually restart operations to several destinations.”

“As a Cypriot company, we feel it is our duty to support the government’s efforts to overcome the challenges during this difficult time, contributing to the rapid and sustainable recovery of the economy.

The safety of all, passengers, and staff has always been our top priority and thus we adopted a number of safety measures”.

Cyprus Airways is implementing the following COVID-19 measures:

  • Maintain the highest possible hygiene standards, which include the disinfection of aircraft after each flight, including passenger seats, seat pockets, lavatories, cabin galley, as per recommendations by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and WHO.
  • On board, the crew will wear protective face masks and gloves.
  • Face masks/coverings are mandatory for all passengers (excluded children younger than 2 years old, anyone who has trouble breathing or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance).
  • At the check-in area, passengers are requested to maintain a safe distance
  • Limit the number of passengers in each bus during boarding and disembarkation
  • Middle seats on aircraft will be kept empty where possible to reduce contact and risks

Cyprus Airways offers two categories of fares, Basic and Flex.

The Flex offers additional services, such as 23kg baggage allowance, 10kg cabin bag allowance, seat selection.

The option of changing the date of travel is available for both categories, for Flex fares it is free of charge and for Basic fares, there is a fee.

In July 2016, Charlie Airlines Ltd, a Cyprus registered company, won a tender competition for the right to use the trademark Cyprus Airways for a decade. The company launched flights in June 2017.

Cyprus Airways operates flights to Europe and the Middle East.

All Cyprus Airways flights operate on Airbus A319 aircraft with a capacity of 144 Economy Class seats.

In October 2018, the company became a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).