THE Romanian-owned low-cost airline Blue Air has permanently based its fleet in Cyprus and will offer cheap flight options to new destinations, it announced yesterday.
From March 28, travellers will have the option of three direct flights per week from Larnaca to Italy (Milan), Austria (Vienna) and Poland (Warsaw), and a daily flight to Romania (Bucharest), plus four flights per week from Paphos to Greece (Thessaloniki). London (Luton) will also be accessible via Bucharest.
Blue Air began with just three destinations in 2004, and today flies to 55 destinations in 13 European countries, operating a fleet of nine Boeing and two SAAB aircraft. Having completed its first five years of successful operations out of Romania in 2009, the low-cost airline is starting 2010 by permanently basing its aircraft in Cyprus. Five more new Boeings will be added to the fleet in 2010, with plans for a further five in the coming years.
Hermes Airports Marketing Manager Ken Hassard said that Blue Air’s operations out of Larnaca and Paphos “will have the immediate effect of increasing the number of daily flights and frequency in serving international markets from our airports.”
Hassard said that as part of its current marketing strategy, Hermes Airports had identified “more than 50 major cities within less than four hours flying time that currently have no direct air services to Cyprus.”
He added that “the focus is going to be on opening new markets”, with careful attention being given to “the cost concerns of low-cost carriers while at the same time providing the level of experience that the passengers are seeking in the airports.”
The airline’s founder and current Group Strategy & Corporate Planning Manager Gheorghe Racaru said that during its nine months of flights to Cyprus in 2008, Blue Air’s operations had brought an extra 30,000 tourist arrivals from Romania. He added that the current numbers could grow significantly, as the airline has the capacity to offer charter flights at night to complement its daily schedule.
Commerce & Tourism Minister Antonis Paschalides expressed his “great satisfaction” that Blue Air had chosen Cyprus as its operating base, saying that this “significant development…will undoubtedly strengthen the great efforts being undertaken to improve Cyprus’ accessibility and attract more tourist arrivals”.
– For flight information, ring sole agent Orthodoxou Aviation on 24008490 or see www.blueairweb.com.
SIDEBAR
The Mail tested one of the promotional offers available on Blue Air’s website yesterday.
To make a return trip to London (Luton), you need to go via Bucharest, and so in practice you have to book two separate return flights, one for each leg.
Taking advantage of the lowest cost option would involve leaving Larnaca on March 28 at 5pm, and after a two-hour flight, spending the night in Bucharest, before taking the daily Bucharest-Luton 8am flight on March 29.
The return trip on April 4 would involve departing Luton at 10am and arriving in Larnaca at 11pm, stopping over in Bucharest for five and a half hours.
Yesterday afternoon, the total cost for the return flights would have been €75.96 including taxes, with the Bucharest-London-Bucharest leg costing a mere €5.98 including taxes.
