Expensive flights

Sir,

I read with interest the article concerning the continual fall in numbers of people visiting Cyprus. As a British property owner on the island, I would say that the biggest single reason for this decline is the comparative cost of flying to the island. With a large choice of very cheap airlines flying to rival destinations including the Canaries, mainland Spain, Portugal, etc. visitors will not pay the very high price of a flight to Cyprus, regardless of the comparative attractions.

When you can fly anywhere in Europe for less than £100, why should I pay £300 to visit Cyprus? The cosy arrangement enjoyed by Cyprus Airways is actually crippling the country and as another writer has pointed out, the standard of service offered by the airline is way behind even budget competitors, and in my experience also doesn’t accurately represent the friendly nature of most Cypriots.

The future success of the island is not in the hands of anyone other than the Cypriots, and I sincerely hope that the right decisions are made to recognise this.

Sean Gosling
Lymm, Cheshire, UK

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.