Most Helios flights operated by chartered planes

THE MAJORITY of Helios flights to and from Larnaca airport yesterday were taken over by chartered planes.

The Helios flight to Warsaw took off at 3am with Fisher airlines, while the 7am flight to Luton was run by Lotus.

Meanwhile, the 11am flight to Prague was taken over by the Lebanese company Mina. The flight code was identical to that of last Sunday’s doomed flight, ZU 522, while the Helios logo was also displayed on the screen. Shortly after camera crews arrived, the logo was removed, leaving only the flight code.

The Helios flight to Sofia, which was due to leave at 7.30 am, was rescheduled to leave at 2.30pm. Those passengers who had already checked in were transferred to a hotel until the time of departure, while most were informed about the delay. Several passengers who had arrived early expressed their anger at Larnaca Airport and complained to the managers of Helios.

The flight that was due to leave to Chania at 1.20pm was due to leave at 8pm last night, causing further complaints about delays.