Soups From Ghana, joined Jun 2004, 3437 posts, RR: 15 Posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2417 times:
Air Universal Cyprus is expecting its first Boeing 747-200B to land at Larnaca Airport on Monday. The aircraft 5B-AUD, the first 747 ever to be registered in Cyprus, was purchased from ANA. They are looking to fly from Larnaca and Paphos to destinations in the US, Canada, Latin America, China, India and Australia.
Is there demands for Cyprus-South America? or Cyprus-China? Well for South America if good connections from the middle east (DAM,DXB,BEY) the route will be succesfull
Next destinations, Suarabaya, beirut, paris, Accra
Irobertson From Canada, joined Apr 2006, 601 posts, RR: 4 Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2400 times:
According to the Air Universal website:
" Air Universal fleet consists of:
· 5 x Boeing 747-230 Passenger Aircraft
· 2 x Lockheed Martin L1011 Aircraft
· 1 x Boeing 747-200 to join the fleet in May/Jun 2006.
· 2 x B737 or A320 projected to join the fleet during 2006."
Also:
" Air Universal is registered in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ministry of Industry and Trade."
If it's based in Jordan, and that 1x747-200 seems to indicate the incoming ANA 747, why register it in Cyprus? Also, if they own two L1011s, are there any pictures of them and where do they fly them to? Or are they just leased out? That would be neat to see on their flights to North America... I've not seen an L1011 since Air Transat had theirs.
PIA747 From Pakistan, joined Apr 2003, 624 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2363 times:
Air Universal is primarily an ACMI operator. Their main business is Hajj and Omra (Muslim Pilgrimage) charters to Saudi Arabia. In Hajj 2006 both L1011s were flying for Libyan Arab Airlines where as 3 B747s were flying for PIA. Currently they hold a Sierra Leone AOC, this limits their operation to Asia and Africa. With a Cyprus AOC, it will open the highly profitable European charter market for them. You can find all the pictures in the A.net database.
AirxLiban From Lebanon, joined Oct 2003, 4491 posts, RR: 55 Reply 4, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2324 times:
If I recall correctly during the mid-90s, Gulf Air operated a service BAH-LCA-JFK with an A340. Does anyone remember this? Am I just on crack or did this service really exist?
Anyway, that routing obviously doesn't exist anymore so my guess would be that even with the feed from BAH, there wasn't enough business to keep the route alive (unless there were other reasons pertaining to its demise).
In my experience expatriate Greeks and Cypriots don't tend to stray too far from home. You'll find them going to the UK for instance, but you won't find them going out to the US or South America nearly as often.
Therefore to answer Soups' question I serioulsy can't see how they're going to be able to fill a 747 flying the route. Plus do they even have a network to facilitate connections? Lastly, Larnaca airport, unless it has changed significantly in the last few years, isn't exactly the ideal place to connect through (nevermind the fact that have they even got a gate capable of accomodating the 400 something passengers that would fill a 747?). They haven't even got jetways at LCA...this mission doesn't have success written all over it.
Lastly I would think that high fare paying passengers would take a connection anyway, since Air Universal hasn't established itself as an equal to the Europeans.
AirxLiban From Lebanon, joined Oct 2003, 4491 posts, RR: 55 Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2320 times:
Just to answer my own question, I remember now that when I was living in Cyprus in the early 90s, Iran Air used to fly into LCA with their 747s and that would literally be disastrous for the airport's already poor immigration and baggage collection facilities.
One other point - does the US have an active air service agreement with Cyprus?
Raffik From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2006, 1646 posts, RR: 4 Reply 6, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2318 times:
Doesn't Saudi operate (or have they?) 747-100s into LCA on a scheduled basis?
It would be convinient to catch a 40 minute flight on ME to LCA and connect to a direct service to JFK etc. Otherwise, I don't think the market of Cyprus alone would sustain this air service.
On a side note, has Cyprus ever operated to America?
PIA747 From Pakistan, joined Apr 2003, 624 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 2305 times:
Air Universal is really not targetting the Cyprus market. It sees Cyprus as a passport to Europe. Last year a Spanish Tour operator contacted Air Universal to operate a few flights from Mardrid to Cuba, the Spanish Civil aviation Authority did not recognize the Sierra Leone AOC. With the Cyprus AOC in place Air Universal will join the ranks of Air Plus Comet, Air Pullmantur and Air Atlanta in Europe.
PIA747 From Pakistan, joined Apr 2003, 624 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 2271 times:
Air Universal is black listed due to non-compliance of Sierra Leone CAA. All Airlines with Sierra Leone AOC are on the EU black list. A switch to Cyprus will make it a welcome visitor.
Melpax From Australia, joined Apr 2005, 1419 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2253 times:
Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 4): In my experience expatriate Greeks and Cypriots don't tend to stray too far from home. You'll find them going to the UK for instance, but you won't find them going out to the US or South America nearly as often.
There is a large greek & cypriot immigrant population in oz, in Melbourne especially (Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Greece) I dare say that if the price is right, they'll do heaps of business flying Greek/Cypriot immigrants & their descendants (which there's plenty of) back 'home' for their regular trips.
Vasu From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2005, 3761 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2144 times:
Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 4): Lastly, Larnaca airport, unless it has changed significantly in the last few years, isn't exactly the ideal place to connect through
Last year when I flew into LCA there was some building work going on with the baggage reclaim area, but nothing else showed signs of improving...
CYatUK From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2006, 804 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2084 times:
Quoting Vasu (Reply 13): Last year when I flew into LCA there was some building work going on with the baggage reclaim area, but nothing else showed signs of improving...
Hi
Cyprus Government has signed a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) contract with Hermes Airports Consortium that will see the latter investing approximately 500million euros to build brand new Passenger Terminals at both Larnaca and Paphos airports.
The final deal is expected to be signed in mid-May and the building works to commence soon after this. The concession is for 25 years.
Initially Larnaca airport will have a capacity of 7.5 million passengers per year with option to be increased to 9.0 million. The new building will be located to the west of the existing Terminal (near the new ATC) and will be ready in late 2009.
Paphos airport will have an initial capacity of 2.7 million passengers per year and the new building will be located adjacent to the existing Terminal.
In the meantime the existing airports will be managed by Hermes Airports Plc. Part of the BOOT deal is the improvement of the existing facilities (new baggage reclaim area, improved parking etc) that will improve the performance of the old Terminals until the new ones are ready.
EE-Kay From Ireland, joined Nov 2001, 152 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1970 times:
I think that after the mid-summer Helios tragedy of last year, this new Cyprus startup will be heavily scrutinised in the EU, and rightly so.
I see this as a clear attempt at finding loopholes around the regulations to bypass and compromise on safety for the sake of saving costs and making some quick bucks. Shame on the aviation authorities in the EU for letting this to happen. The Helios tragedy should have taught them a lesson.
ElVen From Greece, joined Apr 2006, 32 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (7 years 1 month 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1846 times:
Quoting AirxLiban (Reply 4): If I recall correctly during the mid-90s, Gulf Air operated a service BAH-LCA-JFK with an A340. Does anyone remember this? Am I just on crack or did this service really exist?
You remember right, the service existed under a code sharing agreement between Cyprus Airways and Gulf Air.
Cyprus Airways never flew to US.
LCA is a small airport, the largest planes they can handle now are B767 A330 and A340 I know that terminals will be upgrated but that will take some time.
Is going to be a true challenge to have a 25-30 year old B742 fully loaded trying to take off on a hot summer day from the runway in Larnaca.
UK_Dispatcher From United Arab Emirates, joined Dec 2001, 2550 posts, RR: 33 Reply 22, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 1773 times:
Quoting ElVen (Reply 20): Is going to be a true challenge to have a 25-30 year old B742 fully loaded trying to take off on a hot summer day from the runway in Larnaca.
This has never stopped Air Atlanta from flying into LCA. They even fly (or have flown) into PFO, which I imagine is a much smaller airport (I've never been to LCA, so can't compare.)
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