The government is looking into launching flights to and from Brussels, Transport Minister Marios Demetriades has said.
Speaking on Wednesday after a Cabinet meeting, the Minister expressed hope that the attempt will be successful and that there will be flights twice a week.
“There has been a requirement previously to have flights three times per week in winter and four times in summer but this time we are looking into having flights twice a week, both summer and winter“, he said.
Asked about the cost of the company which will eventually operate these route, the Minister explained that if the route is launched as a non-profit line, then it will be subsidized by the Government.
“Therefore we will cover all costs for the airline and any costs that may incur, plus a reasonable profit. These procedures are provided by the EU”, he noted.
Asked if there are other companies interested in flying from Cyprus apart from Colbat Air, the Minister said there are three applications which were submitted to the Civil Aviation department in order to obtain a license as local carrier.
“We are still in the early stages, these applications are examined at two levels, the first is the technical level in which the Department of Civil Aviation examines if the company meets the technical criteria and then the application is examined by a committee which will be looking into economic viability,” he explained.
Demetriades pointed out that a company may pass the technical criteria but not the criteria for economic viability.
He said that within the next three to four months it will be clarified which companies will manage to get permission.
CNA/KCH/MM/2015
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY