BA Paphos-Gatwick service kicks off

BRITISH Airways has celebrated the launch of its new daily Paphos to Gatwick service with an event at the Intercontinental Aphrodite Hills Resort Hotel, near Paphos.

The new flights operate seven days a week and bring the number of scheduled flights operated by British Airways between Cyprus and London every week to 14.

Speaking to the gathered media, Trokoudes said that the launch of the new service is an important moment in BA’s 80 years of service to the island and its ongoing dedication to the Cyprus market. “British Airways has played a very important role in relations between Britain and Cyprus for almost eight decades and today we further our commitment to Cyprus, its residents and its tourist market,” she said.

British High Commissioner Peter Millett said that the new route marks another step in the strengthening of the traditional bonds between Cyprus, Britain and British Airways, while Mylona thanked British Airways for its ongoing investment in the Cyprus tourism market and acknowledged the valued contribution that the new flights will play in bringing tourists to the island.

On his part, Drousiotis drew attention to the importance of British holidaymakers to the Cyprus tourist market (they make up 50 per cent of tourist arrivals) and how the new route, which will operate year-round, offers even more choice for both Cypriot and British travellers.

Rousham expressed his pleasure that the new route is now in operation and thanked the local authorities of Paphos and the CTO for their ongoing support.

“This new route is a direct response to the needs of the many people who wish to travel directly between Paphos and London,” he said. He went on to explain how the launch of a new route is a major step for any airline, especially in these times of global economic difficulty and rising fuel costs.

After Aphrodite Hills, the celebrations moved to Paphos Airport to welcome the first passengers arriving from Gatwick, and to meet those departing Paphos airport for London.

The new British Airways flights depart Paphos at 3.50am, with return flights from Gatwick taking off at 8.30pm.

For further information about all British Airways flights and services, visit www.ba.com

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.