CY pilots unleash wrath on minister

By Constantinos Psillides

THE Cyprus Airways (CY) pilots’ union PASYPI has added another name to its list demanding resignations, this time targeting Communications and Works minister Marios Demetriades.

Following a demand for the resignation of the CY board, the union now wants Demetriades to step down for bungling the process to find a strategic investor for the ailing airline.

PASYPI cites accusing Demetriades of “manipulating the process of finding a strategic investor and selling off the company’s assets, with the ulterior goal being to shut down the airline and sell it at a bargain price to competitors.”

Having been tasked with overseeing the process to finding an investor by evaluating bids by other airlines, the committee comprising Finance minister Harris Georgiades, Energy minister Giorgos Lakkotripis and Demetriades settled on two rival candidates, Aegan Air and Ryanair.

The union said the minister excluded “other interested parties based on ‘quality’ criteria and failed to adequately respond to a letter sent by the EU Commission on Competition, a failure aimed at raising the chances for a rejection from the EU Commission,” the union said.

CY is waiting on a Commission all-clear, regarding a €73m rescue package the company received in 2012, and a €31.3m capital increase in early 2013.

PASYPI also said that the minister ignored the advice of former presidential aviation adviser Christos Petrou, who resigned on Monday, who had claimed that Demetriades refused his advice on ways to save the airline.

Demetriades was also accused of keeping the company board in the dark and not trying hard enough to save the carrier, “as have other ministers in EU countries. They stood by their national carriers and had their state-aid approved.”

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