Cyprus gives go-ahead to Cobalt Air to begin operations

The Cypriot authorities approved the airline operator's technical license of Cobalt Air, a new airline company based on Cyprus, but with a significant Chinese investment component, an official said on Thursday.

Communications Minister Marios Demetriades said after a meeting of the Council of Ministers that the competent authorities had issued a technical license to the airline, meaning it had sufficient ground infrastructure to support its operations.

The license issued is the last requirement before the low-cost airline starts operations in June.

The airliner will use Cyprus as its hub and initial destinations include four airports in Greece, five in the United Kingdom, and also Dublin, Paris, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Tehran.

Meanwhile, Cobalt Air CEO Andrew Pyne said in a recent interview that the company was also throwing its weight behind a full service to China, saying it was experiencing a rapid rise in air travel.

"Cobalt is looking at delivering a 'dramatic impact' in Chinese tourism arrivals to Cyprus. China is a big part of the plan going forward," he said.

Pyne also pointed out the Chinese economy was one of the biggest in the world and its population of over one billion comprised a growing middle class keen to travel.

He said Cobalt services to China could run as frequently as three to four times a week, but he ruled out Beijing and Shanghai as destinations.

He said the airliner hoped to start China services flying to secondary city airports next year. Endit