THERE are not enough planes to accommodate the hundreds of fans from Cyprus who want to watch tomorrow’s Euro 2004 semi-final between Greece and the Czech Republic in Portugal, a tour operator said yesterday.
In fact only one aircraft could be chartered with a capacity of 189 passengers, despite the immense demand.
The director of Limassol-based Suncare Travel, Maria Potamitou, said they were sharing the aircraft, chartered from Eurocypria, with Louis Tours.
She currently has a 200-people waiting list while Louis decided to limit theirs to 40 as it was getting out of hand.
“If I had four planes I would have filled them; even five,” Potamitou told the Cyprus Mail.
“It’s madness,” she added.
Potamitou said people were visiting the agency almost in tears, begging them to find a seat for them to fly to Portugal.
“Even Greek agents call us,” she said.
Potamitou said they had tried several airlines but none had any aircraft available.
A Cyprus Airways spokesman confirmed there had been requests but pointed out that the company’s aircraft were unavailable because it was peak season.
Suncare’s £469-package includes plane and game tickets, with two nights in Braga – the city where the Greek team are staying.
“I hope we secure victory; if Greece wins we’ll stay there,” Potamitou said.
The final is scheduled for Sunday.
The Louis Tours package is £10 cheaper and includes the same things, though fans will be staying in the city of Guimaraes.
“Demand has been unbelievable,” Harris Papacharalambous of Louis said.
He added: “We’ve even had requests from Greece but unfortunately there are no available planes.”
The flight departs today.
For the more optimistic fans, Skevi Travel in Nicosia offers a package deal, which includes the semi-final and the final.
For £867 – excluding game tickets – people get four nights in a three-star hotel – two in Porto and two in Lisbon – with breakfast.
The package covers airfares from Larnaca to Portugal – through Athens – but not the game tickets, which cost extra according to availability.
The tickets could set punters back at least €90 as cheaper ones have been sold out.
This flight departs from Larnaca tomorrow morning.
