The New Cyprus Airways: How the Airline Reborn in 2017 Flies Today

A restart, not a continuation

When the original Cyprus Airways ceased operations in January 2015 after decades of losses and a public rescue rejected by the European Union, Cyprus was left for over two years without a real flag carrier. The current Cyprus Airways was born to fill that gap, with a corporate structure and shareholding completely new compared with the historic carrier, and a logo that takes up the olive branch as the island's emblem of identity.

A network focused on Europe and the Middle East

From Larnaca, the airline regularly connects Athens, Milan, Paris, Dubai and Tel Aviv, combining seasonal scheduled flights with charter operations on some leisure routes. It also maintains interline agreements with larger carriers such as Qatar Airways and Air India, useful for those who need to continue their journey beyond the eastern Mediterranean.

An all-Airbus fleet, and growing

The fleet is made up of 4 Airbus A220-300s and 2 Airbus A320s, with two more A220-300s already on order: a compact but relatively young fleet compared with many regional Mediterranean airlines, which grew out of initial operations with 144-seat A319-100s that were then progressively replaced.

On board, a regional-airline product

With about 210 employees, Cyprus Airways remains a small airline: onboard service is that typical of a regional carrier on medium-haul routes, without the multiple classes of the big flag carriers, but with a visual identity and positioning clearly tied to tourism to the island.

What passengers say

Among the most recurring comments:

• Convenience of the direct seasonal links to Italian and Greek cities poorly served by other carriers.
• Friendly cabin crew on a network that is still relatively young.

Among the most frequent criticisms:

• Reduced frequencies on some routes, often only 2-3 times a week off-season.
• Less flexibility for booking changes than the big European carriers.

Those flying seasonally between Cyprus and a city such as Milan or Athens on a direct link will find Cyprus Airways the most practical option available, and a less suitable one for those who need dense frequencies all year round on the same route. It is not the right airline either for those who want maximum last-minute flexibility, with frequencies still reduced outside the summer months.

Always check whether the flight is operated as a codeshare or on a charter basis on leisure routes: on these routes the change and refund conditions can differ from those of the airline's regular scheduled flights.