CY and Olympic sign strategic deal

CYPRUS Airways (CY) and Greece’s Olympic Air have concluded an agreement for wide-ranging cooperation aimed at boosting the presence of the two airlines in southeastern Europe.

The agreement, signed in Nicosia, envisages the carrying out of code-sharing direct scheduled flights between the two airlines (domestic and international).

As of March 27 code-shared flights start to and from Larnaca and Paphos as well as Athens, Rhodes, Herakleion and Thessaloniki. From April 15 it will be expanded to cover most domestic and international destinations for both airlines.

In a codeshare agreement, two airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code. The term “code” refers to the identifier used in flight schedule.

In a news release yesterday, CY said the arrangement would give travelers a greater range of choice for trips, with cheaper airfares to dozens of Greek islands and cities as well as other European destinations that the two companies fly to.

Under the agreement, passengers of each company will collect points from CY’s Sunmiles frequent flyers programmes as well as from Olympic Air’s Travelair Club for the entire itinerary up to their final destination, regardless of whether one leg of the trip involves one company or the other.

Travelers will also have the opportunity to redeem the points collected with both companies, winning more free trips. Details will be announced at a later date.

The cooperation agreement between the two airlines covers other sectors, such as the provision of ground services at the airports of Cyprus and Greece, and the joint use of VIP lounges in the airports of the two countries.

Commenting on the deal, CY Executive Chairman Mr. George Mavrokostas spoke of “a new era” in relations between the two airlines.

Cyprus Airways has strategic agreements with other airlines including Etihad, Gulf Air, Syrian Air, Royal Jordanian, KLM, Alitalia, Aeroflot, LOT Polish Airlines and SN Brussels.

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.