There is a strong interest from airlines to operate flights to Cyprus, said on Friday the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Giannis Karousos, adding that flights are planned from new companies to destinations with no connectivity or insufficient connectivity.
In statements in Paralimni and answering a relevant question, the Minister of Transport said that "yesterday, April 1st, we entered the 2nd Phase of the Action Plan for the resumption of flights and the opening of Cyprus airports." In particular, he said, in addition to the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area, passengers from 15 third countries, including the United Kingdom, as well as countries that are important for tourism and connectivity of our country, will now be able to to travel to Cyprus without entering quarantine or self-restraint.
Instead, he continued, "with a model, based on which we combine the epidemiological data of each country and the evaluation and the criteria of the ECDC, these countries will be categorized in green, orange and red, with a maximum categorization of red, two laboratory tests will be provided." negative for the coronavirus, one 72 hours before departure and one upon arrival in Cyprus ".
He added that "vaccinated passengers from Israel, who hold their state vaccination certificate, will not be subject to any restrictions."
The first passengers, he noted, "came to Cyprus yesterday, April 1, we had three flights with the majority being vaccinated and so they did not pass any laboratory test." As he stated, "there were some passengers, who did not have the vaccination certificate and passed the laboratory tests".
According to the Minister of Transport, "March and April operate as pilot months to test the country's protocols, to make sure that the changes we have made at airports and the flow of passengers will be productive and efficient. "We are seeing an increase in flights arriving in Cyprus in late May, early June."
However, he noted, "everything will depend on the epidemiological data of each country and when some political decisions will be taken by the countries themselves, such as the United Kingdom, but also our own epidemiological data."
Mr. Karousos addressed an "appeal to all" to realize that "it is important to open tourism, to strengthen and improve air traffic and air transport, our country must be epidemiologically classified by other countries as green, or at least orange, so that the traveler on returning back to his country, does not enter into any restrictions ".
There is, continued the Minister of Transport, "enough interest from airlines, which invest in the protocol we have, but also in the message of stability that this protocol sends." A few days ago, he said, Ryanair, based in Paphos, announced the largest summer program it has ever had in Cyprus, WIZZ Air announced that it will strengthen its base with another plane, while TUS Airways brought an airplane and has requested permission to resume its operation from Cyprus.
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Karousos said that "flights are planned to destinations that either had no connectivity at all or had insufficient connectivity, such as France, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries." At the same time, he continued, "we see new airlines planning flights especially on the route Greece - Cyprus".
To another question, the Minister of Transport replied that "it has already been announced that from 1 May, the vaccinated, ie those who will hold the certificate issued by the United Kingdom, will be able to travel to Cyprus without any restrictions. "We are in contact with the United Kingdom to see the details of the certificate it will issue, however we are waiting for the country's political decision on where to classify Cyprus and when the British will be allowed to travel to any destination from there. the whole process for tourism should start "in our country, he added.
Asked to mention what is happening with the arrival of tourists from Russia, Giannis Karousos said that "Russia is in the red category and the protocols we have apply". The Russians, he said, "can travel to Cyprus, there is interest from both tour operators and airlines." He noted that "with the Deputy Minister of Tourism we have made teleconferences with almost all airlines, which want to start flights."
At the same time, he said, "we have informed the competent Services of the Russian Federation about what is in force, that Cyprus is an open country, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken similar actions."
Continuing, Mr. Karousos said that "we are now waiting for decisions from the Russian Federation on when it will open and allow chartered flights to Cyprus, so that tourism can be opened from this country as well."