Cyprus Airways ( Greek : Κυπριακές Αερογραμμές) is the flag carrier of Cyprus , based at Larnaca International Airport . It commenced operations on 1 June 2017.
74-466: Cyprus Airways resumed operations in 2016 after a start-up Cypriot company, Charlie Airlines Ltd., won the rights to use the trademark of Cyprus Airways . The airline's logo incorporates an olive branch , the main symbol of Cyprus . In March 2017, the airline obtained its air operator certificate from the Cypriot Department of Civil Aviation , marking the start of commercial service for
148-637: A British Army team from the UN Peace Keeping (UNFICYP) REME Workshop based in Nicosia. They used their 6x6 Leyland Recovery vehicle to remove the tail section of one of the destroyed planes and to lift the repaired engines into place. When the Tridents flew out (the Turks would not give permission for test flights, once they took off they were not allowed to return) they were the first planes to use
222-609: A tricycle undercarriage , a steerable nosewheel, integral fuel tanks, and other recent innovations. Distinctive external features of the Ambassador included its three low tailfins and a long pointed nose, giving it a resemblance to the larger transcontinental Lockheed Constellation . Its tricycle gear gave it a more modern appearance than contemporaries such as the DC-3 , Curtiss Commando , Avro Lancastrian and Vickers Vikings that were common on Europe's shorter airline routes. In
296-585: A bidder for the sale of the company. On 23 July 2012, the Cyprus Stock Exchange suspended dealing in Cyprus Airways shares, due to the delay by Cyprus Airways in submitting and publishing its annual financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011. A statement to the Cyprus Stock Exchange on 4 March 2013 gave the results for Cyprus Airways Group for the year ended 31 December 2012 as a loss after tax of €55,8 million in comparison to
370-438: A dispersed design team at Fairmile Manor, Cobham, Surrey, in 1943, which initially worked on a smaller proposal powered by Bristol Hercules radial engines ; this was quickly superseded by a larger-capacity design aimed at better fulfilling the expansion in postwar civil air travel, although several entities doubted Airspeed's projected growth in air travel. Fitted with the new but conventional Bristol Centaurus radial engines ,
444-452: A five-year agreement with BEA for the latter to operate services on behalf of Cyprus Airways. As a result, BEA took over the operation of all Cyprus Airways services from 26 January 1958. The government of newly independent Cyprus became the majority shareholder in 1960 with a 53.2 percent holding, while BEA's stake was reduced to 22.7 percent and private individuals held the rest. Thereafter, Cypriot nationals began to be hired and trained for
518-662: A galloping Cypriot mouflon , a type of wild sheep only found in Cyprus. This logo was also painted on the engines of the aircraft. The galloping mouflon logo was designed in 1962 by David Collins on the instruction of BEA. The first aircraft to display the mouflon design were De Havilland Comet 4B aircraft by the passenger door entrance. Food and beverages served on flights from Cyprus were provided by Cyprus Airways Catering facilities in Larnaca. Meals were selected from an array of international and Cypriot foods. In-flight entertainment
592-525: A joint-venture. S7 is currently Russia's largest domestic carrier and transported 10.6 million passengers in 2015. S7 CEO Vladislav Filev said that the Charlie name was inspired by the nickname handed to expatriated Cypriots that had left the island. S7 will provide two Airbus A319-100 aircraft to start operations to destinations in the UK, Greece and Russia. Charlie Airlines Ltd filed an application to receive
666-643: A key customer for the type, having placed a £3 million order for 20 aircraft in September 1948. Introducing the Ambassador to service in 1951, BEA often referred to the aircraft as the "Elizabethans", as the aircraft were used for the airline's "Elizabethan Class" passenger service. However, the type was quickly outperformed by the turboprop-powered Vickers Viscount , with BEA opting to withdraw its Ambassadors in 1958. Secondhand aircraft were operated by several other airlines, including Dan-Air and Northeast Airlines . Despite being produced in relatively small numbers,
740-413: A local Air operator's certificate and acquire the right to use the Cyprus Airways trademarks for ten years for 2 million euros. Cyprus Airways Public Ltd was predominantly owned by the government of Cyprus, with 391,155,177 shares issued and fully paid: The key trends for Cyprus Airways are shown below (as at years ending 31 December). Full annual reports and accounts were issued up until 2007, but as
814-576: A loss of €23,9 million in 2011. The European Commission announced on 6 March 2013 that it has opened an investigation into whether the Cypriot government's €73 million rescue loan in December 2012 and €31.3 million contribution to a capital increase in January 2013 are in breach of EU rules on state aid. On 13 March 2014 Cyprus Airways confirmed the sale of its second slot at London Heathrow Airport to
SECTION 10
#1732772289965888-445: A personal entertainment system, built into the armrest of the high-standard seats. Additionally, meals were served to business class passengers, with a selection of international and Cypriot cuisine on offer. Drinks and wine were offered on all flights. Economy class was named after the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, who, according to Greek mythology, was a symbol of beauty and elegance. Cyprus Airways' Aphrodite (economy) Class offered
962-432: A profit. It held a 75% share of that carrier until all of the shares were sold to Air Miles (charter broker) Air Miles in 2005. In 2006, the government of Cyprus bought Eurocypria because Cyprus Airways started facing severe financial problems. According to the airline's 2010 financial results the operating loss for 2010 was €4,9 million in comparison to a loss of €5,4 million in 2009. On 28 June 2011 Cyprus Airways issued
1036-408: A profits warning to the Cyprus Stock Exchange, attributing this to "the continuing financial crisis and to the further significant increase in fuel prices." On 31 August 2011, Cyprus Airways issued its results for the first half of 2011, which showed a loss of €29.3 million, compared to a loss of €25.5 million for the respective period in 2010, representing an increase of €3.8 million. As a result of
1110-434: A restructuring programme to curb the continued losses, most Middle East destinations were cut from the timetable in 2011/2012, including Bahrain, Cairo, Damascus, Dubai and Jeddah. In February 2012, due to the poor financial results of the airline, the Cypriot government announced it would increase the airline's capital and authorized negotiations for the sale of an unspecified stake of the carrier. As of September 2014 ,
1184-671: A seat pitch of 30-31 inches. Depending on the destination and time of the flight, a hot breakfast, lunch, or cold snack was served. The tray included a seasonal salad and dessert, as well as crackers and halloumi cheese. Drinks, including coffee or tea and soft drinks, were offered. SunMiles was the frequent flyer programme of Cyprus Airways. There were four tiers of membership: Student, Regular, Premier, and Elite. Points were credited per each one-way flight on Cyprus Airways. Economy class passengers gained 1 point per kilometer, and Business class passengers gained 1.5 points per kilometer. Airspeed Ambassador The Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador
1258-606: A significant fleet expansion by placing orders for four Airbus A320-200 aircraft. The first of these jets was inducted into service in May 2022, followed closely by the second in July 2022, and the third in March 2023. The first two A220 aircraft arrived in June 2023. Cyprus Airways' first livery was introduced in 2016 on its Airbus A319 aircraft and featured the old Cyprus Airways logo,
1332-415: A standard configuration, the Ambassador could accommodate up to 47 passengers; somewhat unusually, its passenger cabin could be either pressurised or not as the customer preferred. To reduce cabin noise levels, considerable effort went into soundproofing and general furnishings; Taylor described the Ambassador as being particularly quiet for a piston engine airliner, although also noting it could not equal
1406-576: A tour operation in the United Kingdom. In 1992 the group established Eurocypria Airlines Ltd. to fly European tourists to Cyprus on a charter basis. It was expanding into ancillary services as well, taking over duty-free operations at Larnaca and Pafos airports. Cyprus added many new cooperation agreements with other airlines as it developed its international reach by linking Europe and the Middle East. Its partners included KLM and Saudia. By
1480-531: Is a British twin piston-engined airliner that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. It was one of the first postwar airliners to be produced. The Ambassador was developed in response to a requirement identified by the Brabazon Committee for a twin-engined short-to-medium-haul airliner as a replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3 . Airspeed assembled
1554-656: The Lebanese company Middle East Airlines for €6.3 million. The airline ceased operations on 9 January 2015 following a policy made by the European Commission that the state aid paid to the airline by the Government of Cyprus was illegal and had to be returned by the company. This effectively caused Cyprus Airways to be bankrupt. Notably, air connectivity rose by 15 per cent in the first six months of 2016 compared with an increase of 3.6 per cent in 2015,
SECTION 20
#17327722899651628-651: The Royal Jordanian Air Force , also procured Ambassadors for private purposes. The initial popularity of the Ambassador, with its pressurised cabin and good soundproofing , was soon eclipsed by the arrival of turboprop -powered aircraft such as the Vickers Viscount and, some years later, the Lockheed Electra , which featured more reliable engines and faster speeds. One Elizabethan, Christopher Marlowe ( G-ALZO , c/n 5226)
1702-574: The Type 2 . The British manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. was interested in this requirement and established a small design team to work on the project from a dispersed office in Fairmile Manor at Cobham in Surrey in 1943. This effort was headed by ex- de Havilland aeronautical engineer Arthur Hagg, who had joined the company earlier that year. Early concepts included an unpressurised aircraft in
1776-455: The mouflon , by the front doors of the aircraft. In October 2022, a new livery was introduced on its A320 and this was further revised in November 2022. [REDACTED] Media related to Cyprus Airways (2017) at Wikimedia Commons Cyprus Airways (1947%E2%80%932015) Cyprus Airways (Public) Ltd. ( Greek : Κυπριακές Αερογραμμές) was the flag carrier airline of Cyprus . It
1850-503: The 14.5- ton gross weight class to be powered by a pair of Bristol Hercules radial engines . Work on the endeavour was taken as far as possible without impacting Airspeed's wartime production activity, as the Second World War was still raging. In response to changes in planner's preferences, dictating that the interim aircraft be procured so that airliners such as the in-development Ambassador had more development time, thus
1924-434: The Ambassador commenced during 1950, leading to the first production standard aircraft, destined for BEA, performing its first flight on 12 January 1951. The Airspeed Ambassador was an all-metal twin-engine airliner, designed to serve short-to-medium haul routes. It was relatively advanced for the era, being relatively aerodynamically clean, having a high aspect–ratio wing with hoped-for near- Laminar flow characteristics,
1998-464: The Ambassador was designed to accommodate four Napier Nomad turbo-compound engines , a then-recent innovation. Its fuselage was compatible with pressurisation , this being an optional feature offered to customers. On 10 July 1947, the first prototype Ambassador conducted its maiden flight at Christchurch with chief test pilot George Errington at the controls; a total of three prototypes were built. Early on, British European Airways (BEA) emerged as
2072-464: The Ambassador was operational for longer than had been anticipated by planners. The origins of the Ambassador can be traced to 1943 and the work of the Brabazon Committee , which sought to define what types of aircraft would be desired by the postwar civil aviation sector. One of the committee's recommendations was a twin-engined short-to-medium-haul replacement for the Douglas DC-3 , known as
2146-514: The Ambassador were being conducted by a joint team of Airspeed and BEA employees, while official BEA training commenced in August of that year. The flagship of BEA's fleet was G-ALZN , appropriately named "RMA Elizabethan". The first "Elizabethan" scheduled flight was from Heathrow Airport to Paris Le Bourget on 13 March 1952, soon the type was used across BEA's main UK routes. According to Taylor,
2220-449: The Ambassador's performance gave BEA a competitive edge over its rivals. By December 1955, the "Elizabethan Class" had reached 2,230 flying hours annually, per aircraft, the highest in BEA's fleet. However, the rival Vickers Viscount , which was introduced in 1953, was even more popular with BEA's passengers than the Ambassador. Rival airlines, such as Air France , had also quickly introduced
2294-594: The Cypriot airline's operations had to be suspended following the end of the hostilities in 1974 because Nicosia International Airport, the only airport of the island, had to be closed. Although the Turkish troops did not capture it, they were close enough to it to demand that it not be reopened. The government of Cyprus then moved quickly to build a small terminal by a runway in Larnaca and Cyprus Airways restarted limited operations from there on 8 February 1975. Specifically
Cyprus Airways - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-411: The Cypriot government owned 93.67% of the airline. raised the share capital of the company and sold the state-owned majority of shares. Negotiations were developing with Aeroflot , which was expected to buy the company if an agreement is reached with the Cypriot government. In May 2012, Cyprus Airways announced that interest was expressed by Triple Five Group , the first official announcement concerning
2442-485: The Cyprus Airways service to London with an Airspeed Ambassador , which featured a pressurized cabin that allowed nonstop routing avoiding a stopover in Athens. On 18 April 1953, BEA began using its newly delivered Vickers Viscount 701 on their scheduled service from London to Rome and Athens. The continuing sector from Athens to Nicosia was operated by BEA under charter to Cyprus Airways. This route from London to Nicosia
2516-695: The Viscount, and thus held an advantage over BEA's Elizabethan service. Accordingly, the airline decided to withdraw the type despite its relative youth, with BEA's final scheduled Ambassador flight on 30 July 1958. There were no further sales of the Ambassador. Aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Masefield laid this lack of success largely upon attitudes within de Havilland 's management following its takeover of Airspeed in 1951; they allegedly preferred to use Airspeed's factory at Christchurch Airfield to produce military jets designed by de Havilland. One example of de Havilland's undermining of potential sales
2590-401: The adoption of the new turbopropeller engines. By the end of 1945, work had commenced on building structural test sections and jigs . On 10 July 1947, the first prototype, registered G-AGUA , conducted the type's maiden flight , flown by chief test pilot George B.S. Errington. After the generally successful first flight, the prototype underwent a month of alterations, including deleting
2664-488: The airline leased from British Midland Airways Viscount turboprops to fly a stripped down route network to a few key cities in the region: Beirut, Tel Aviv, and Athens via Heraklion, with connections to London on British Airways. Cyprus Airways leased a pair of DC-9 jets in August 1975 to resume its own flights to London (via Salonika). The acquisition of a DC-8 several months later allowed for non-stop service. Cyprus also added flights to Saudi Arabia at this time. The company
2738-458: The airline's financial position deteriorated, so the annual accounts became briefer. The 2012 figures are only from press reports, and are unaudited.: *Unaudited figures; loss shown is after tax. As of April 2014 , Cyprus Airways served 12-year-round destinations in 10 countries, all in Europe and the Middle East. As of February 2014 , Cyprus Airways had codeshare agreements with
2812-420: The airline's shutdown, Cyprus Airways had a fleet of fourteen Airbus A320 aircraft of an average age of 11.3 years. All aircraft bore names of Cypriot landmarks and cities. Cyprus Airways operated the following aircraft types: The airline's livery was an all white fuselage with the words 'CYPRUS AIRWAYS' in blue over the front passenger windows. The vertical stabilizer was blue, with yellow lines depicting
2886-572: The airline. In 2019, 400,000 travellers were carried by Cyprus Airways. As of October 2023, Cyprus Airways operates scheduled flights to the following destinations: Cyprus Airways codeshares with the following airlines: Cyprus Airways also has an interline agreement with Sky Express . As of August 2024, Cyprus Airways operates the following aircraft: The airline began operations with two Airbus A319-100 aircraft, seating 144 economy passengers. These aircraft were stored between 2021 and 2022, and subsequently scrapped. Cyprus Airways undertook
2960-513: The back of the seats, offering many more options in video and audio entertainment. Business class was named after the ancient Greek god Apollo, who was a symbol of harmony, order, and reason. Apollo class had wide leather seats that reclined by up to 45 inches (110 cm) of pitch and featured electrical recline and leg rest. Apollo-class passengers also had access to the Sunjet executive lounges at both Larnaca and Paphos airports. Apollo class included
3034-648: The design was revised substantially to expand its capacity. By 1944, it was a considerably larger design than the DC-3, with improved comfort and space. While Airspeed's management believed that postwar demands would demand greater passenger capacities, several figures, including those within the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and the Air Ministry , were less enthusiastic with their projections. The company also promoted
Cyprus Airways - Misplaced Pages Continue
3108-477: The economics of higher utilisation rates and elevated cruise speeds, whereas conventional wisdom amongst airlines was to avoid increasing speeds to reduce fuel consumption. For the Ambassador, Airspeed opted to pursue a cruising altitude of 20,000 ft, relatively high for the era. A comprehensive mockup was completed by November 1944, largely for promotional purposes, while the projected operating cost figures were released during early 1945. Immediately following
3182-520: The eighth airline in the world to receive the Airbus A320 , and the first airline that launched the IAE V2500 engine along with Adria Airways . Profits reached record levels in the mid-1980s as the airline added service from new UK cities (Cardiff, Newcastle, and Glasgow). Income of CYP 4.8 million ( DEM 8 million) in 1983, a record, would be tripled three years later. By this time, the airline
3256-583: The end of the conflict, the British Ministry of Aircraft Production placed an order with the company to produce a pair of prototypes . While the first prototype was to be un pressurised and powered by a pair of Bristol Centaurus radial engines , it was envisioned that the second prototype would feature a reinforced fuselage compatible with pressurisation and a wing that could accommodate four Napier Nomad turboprop engines. Several officials, including company chairman Alan Samuel Butler , favored
3330-474: The flight crews, which had previously been made up of British expatriates from BEA. Cyprus Airways still relied on BEA for aircraft and backroom support. BEA began introducing Comet 4B jets on all routes in 1961 via a joint aircraft pool arrangement that included Greece's Olympic Airways. On 5 April 1960, BEA introduced de Havilland Comet 4B aircraft on the Nicosia , Athens , Rome and London routes. With
3404-581: The following airlines: On 25 July 2011, Cyprus Airways signed a code-share agreement with Virgin Atlantic, allowing the Cypriot market to travel to Boston , New York , Newark , Los Angeles , Manchester , Edinburgh and Aberdeen on flights operated by Virgin using both Virgin and Cyprus Airways flight numbers, with connecting flights at London–Heathrow . Services from London Heathrow to Larnaca were operated by Cyprus Airways aircraft with flight numbers both of Cyprus Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Prior to
3478-521: The gills were reinstated. Engine-out climb performance was enhanced by being able to feather the propeller using a zero-torque signal from the engine. During 1952, British European Airways (BEA) introduced the first of its 20 strong fleet of Ambassadors to revenue service, the airline referred to them as the "Elizabethan Class" in honour of the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II . The planned 1951 introduction date had been pushed to 1952 to address development issues. By May 1951, intense proving trials of
3552-555: The introduction of the Comets, Cyprus Airways became the first airline in the Middle East to have jet airplanes. The Comets flew in the BEA livery, but had the Cyprus Airways logo and title above their doors. In 1965, Cyprus Airways began leasing its own Viscounts from BEA for regional routes. The Comet and Viscount aircraft were replaced with five Trident jets, three of them acquired from BEA. The first Hawker Siddeley Trident jet
3626-420: The lower noise levels of turboprop -powered airliners such as the Vickers Viscount . It was typically powered by conventional Bristol Centaurus radial engines , although individual aircraft were reengined with various powerplants, including turboprops. To increase cruise performance, designers made great efforts to minimise drag , using a NACA laminar-flow wing section. The predicted low-drag performance
3700-538: The mid-1990s, more than one million passengers were flying Cyprus Airways every year; another 4,000 chose the charter operation Eurocypria. The airline's market share approached 40 percent. After a rough couple of years, the company posted a CYP 13 million profit in 1994 thanks to cost-cutting and marketing efforts. The airline introduced a restyled livery, as it embarked on an ambitious fleet renewal programme. Two new Airbus A319s, smaller than its other aircraft, were added in 2002. The next year, two new Airbus A330s replaced
3774-657: The older A310s on long-haul routes. A fleet of four Boeing 737s was chosen for the Eurocypria charter subsidiary, however, with two further similar aircraft added in 2004 and 2005. A feature of the new Eurocypria aircraft was that each had a different colour on its tail. In the meantime, the A320s owned by Cyprus Airways but leased to Eurocypria were returned to the parent company. In 2002, the Cypriot government lowered its ownership stake to 69.62 percent. Cyprus Airways founded Hellas Jet in Athens (Greece) in 2003, never making
SECTION 50
#17327722899653848-438: The programme received a setback when the prototype was forced to perform a belly landing after the port undercarriage leg failed to deploy due to a loss of hydraulic pressure. This did not seemingly deter customer confidence, as the newly created operator British European Airways (BEA) continued to openly express their preference for the type, and in September they placed a £3 million order for 20 Ambassadors. This support
3922-489: The rest of the company. Operations commenced on 18 April 1948 with three Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The planes, which carried 21 passengers each, flew on a route network centred on Nicosia that included Rome, London (via Athens), Beirut, Athens, Cairo, Istanbul, and Haifa. During the next three years the airline purchased an additional three DC-3 aircraft and introduced services to Alexandria , Amman , Bahrain , Khartoum (via Haifa) and Lod . In its early years, Cyprus Airways
3996-485: The runway since U Thant flew in and out on a UN flight. One of these is at the Imperial War Museum Duxford , England, although it has been returned to its original BEA livery. Also flown out was the company's BAC1-11 which was claimed by the insurers of the lessor, Court-Line, which had gone bankrupt. That aircraft returned to Cyprus Airways in 1978 and served with the company until 1995. All of
4070-470: The shares it had inherited from BEA to the Cypriot government. Private investors owned the remainder (24.14 percent). Cyprus made a transition to Airbus aircraft over the course of the decade. Its first A310 widebodies arrived in 1984, followed by A320s in 1989. The order for the eight A320s was worth more than DEM 250 million. Cyprus Airways was one of the first airlines to operate the Airbus A310 ,
4144-460: The spring tab and replacing it with geared tabs fitted to the outer rudders and locking the inner rudder; reversible propellers were also installed. During September 1947, the prototype made its first public display alongside elements of the second prototype, including its cockpit and control system, at the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) show at Radlett . On 22 November 1947,
4218-668: The test programme. The second Ambassador, G-AKRD , was the first to feature pressurisation and was equipped with a full passenger cabin configuration for demonstration flights. This second prototype was subsequently used by the Bristol Aeroplane Company from 1953 for flight-testing the Bristol Proteus 705 turbine engine. From March 1958, it was used by Rolls-Royce for testing the Dart and Tyne turboprops. The third prototype and first Ambassador 2 G-ALFR
4292-408: The time. With its control of Cyprus Airways, BEA was able to serve key destinations in the Middle East, including Beirut and Cairo, using Cyprus Airways, whilst maintaining the pretence of not flying beyond Cyprus. Paradoxically it was continuing disputes between BEA and BOAC over this issue that led to the first proposals in 1953 to merge BEA and BOAC to form British Airways . In 1952, BEA took over
4366-487: The type's disposal by BEA, secondhand Ambassadors helped to establish the scheduled and charter flight operations of Dan-Air , an important airline in the development of the package holiday . The type was also used in the UK by Autair and BKS Air Transport . Secondhand Ambassadors were also flown for short periods by other airlines including Butler Air Transport (Australia), Globe Air (Switzerland) and Norrønafly (Norway). Multiple entities, such as Royal Dutch Shell and
4440-519: The year when Cyprus Airways went into bankruptcy. In July 2016, the Cypriot government announced that the Cypriot start-up company Charlie Airlines Ltd was the winning bidder in a competition carried out by the finance ministry about the usage of the Cyprus Airways Brand for a period of ten years. Charlie Airlines has been built by a consortium of local investors that hold 60% of the airline and Russia's S7 Airlines , that holds 40% as
4514-510: Was carrying 740,000 passengers a year. British Airways divested the last of its shares in 1991, leaving the government with an 80.46 percent stake and private investors, the remainder. The airline was flying high, introducing a livery and uniforms as the Airbuses plied new routes to Berlin and Helsinki. Cyprus Airways had also joined the SABRE international computer reservations system and set up
SECTION 60
#17327722899654588-401: Was destroyed by Turkish Air force rocket fire and wreckage of its tail still exists at that airport and one was damaged by small arms fire remaining in the same position today as it did in 1974. The two other Tridents were only lightly damaged by small arms fire and were flown out of Nicosia by British Airways engineers to the United Kingdom in 1977. The team from British Airways was assisted by
4662-441: Was dramatically displayed at the 1948 Farnborough Airshow , becoming the only aircraft in history to perform such an aerial display with one engine out throughout. This was a deliberate choice, with the inactive engine's propeller being feathered prior to taking off and remaining so until after landing. The first prototype performed the majority of flight testing through late 1948. A total of three prototypes were constructed for
4736-556: Was established in September 1947 and ceased operations on 9 January 2015. Cyprus Airways had its operating base at Larnaca International Airport . In July 2016, Charlie Airlines acquired the rights to use the Cyprus Airways trademarks and brand. Cyprus Airways was established on 24 September 1947 as a joint venture between the British Colonial Government of Cyprus , holding 40% of the share capital, British European Airways (BEA) and private interests owning
4810-477: Was initially used for BEA proving trials, and in 1955 it also supported the development trials of the Napier Eland turbine engine. During 1958, intensive simulated airline flying, to pave the way for BEA Vanguards, was performed using two Tyne-powered Ambassadors. During the latter stage of development, some issues were uncovered. The wing, which had been designed to induce laminar flow characteristics,
4884-787: Was introduced by Cyprus Airways on its Airbus A319 aircraft upon delivery in 2002, and its A320s were retrofitted at the same time. On the A320 family aircraft, there were television screens placed along the aircraft. Sound was provided through headsets given by the cabin crew. Screens had a moving-map system which provided real-time flight information such as position and direction of the plane, altitude, airspeed, distance to destination, distance from origination, and local time. The larger A330 aircraft, operated between 2002 and 2011 and used mainly on longer flights to London Heathrow, Paris, and Amsterdam, but also occasionally to Manchester, Athens, and Zurich, had individual screens for each passenger, mounted on
4958-465: Was introduced in November 1969. Cyprus also leased a BAC 1-11. The faster planes allowed more European trade centres (Frankfurt, Manchester, Brussels, and Paris) to be added to the timetable. At the start of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the attack on Nicosia airport caught all five of Cyprus Airways aircraft on the ground. Of the four Tridents stranded at Nicosia International Airport one
5032-411: Was not completely realized, however, due to structural features for wing construction, propeller slipstream over the inner wing, and increased skin roughness in actual service conditions. The engine nacelles were initially designed with inwardly-opening louvres for exhaust gases and cooling air rather than the usual outwardly opening "gills". However, these proved inadequate for cooling the engine, thus
5106-438: Was operated effectively as a subsidiary of BEA, not only in its ownership structure, but in its use of BEA crew and cabin staff, and BEA aircraft. In part, this was due to restrictions placed on BEA by the British government on serving destinations further east than Cyprus, as such routes were considered the preserve of BEA's rival, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), although both BEA and BOAC were state-owned airlines at
5180-449: Was relatively unconventional in its design; testing revealed that it lacked sufficient strength, and redesigning the wing was not straightforward. Technical assistance was provided by de Havilland and the issue was proven to be resolved in December 1949. Three minor accidents during demonstration flights, while causing no serious damage, often delayed testing and did not inspire confidence amongst potential customers. Quantity production of
5254-490: Was so impactful that, according to aviation author H. A. Taylor, rival aircraft manufacturer Vickers was close to cancelling development of the Viscount over fears that airlines held a preference for advanced piston-powered airliners over the unfamiliar turboprop. During flight testing, it was found that the aircraft possessed particularly favourable low speed characteristics. Having been explored in depth beforehand, this
5328-711: Was soon able to order a pair of new BAC 1-11s, added to the sister aircraft already in the fleet. The economic loss of the Turkish invasion to the airline was estimated to be 1.6 million Cypriot pounds. To survive, the airline decided to reduce the salaries of all its employees to a minimum, who accepted it. The airline ordered still more different aircraft types in the late 1970s which replaced some earlier aircraft coming off lease. By 1981, Cyprus's fleet included four Boeing 707-123B (1979–1989) and three BAC One-Eleven 500. The route network again extended from Manchester, England, to Baghdad. A change in ownership structure had taken place, with British Airways selling all but 5 percent of
5402-493: Was the recall of the Sales Director to de Havilland's headquarters at Hatfield Aerodrome ( Hertfordshire , England) from Australia, despite his reportedly being near to finalizing an order from Trans-Australia Airlines for 12 Ambassadors. Taylor observed that prospective customers were often sceptical that Airspeed, being a relatively small company, could be relied upon for technical support and components. Following
5476-500: Was the world's first regular turboprop service. In 1956, contemplating expansion of its routes, Cyprus Airways ordered two Vickers Viscount 756 aircraft that would be named St Hilarion (registration G-APCD) and Buffavento (G-APCE), but sold them before receiving them because of the deteriorating political situation in Cyprus. It also decided to sell all the Douglas DC-3 and Auster aircraft in September 1957 and entered into
#964035