Ryanair CEO Michael O` Leary on Friday said that with the help of the Irish low-cost airline, Cyprus Airways could get back on a path of rapid growth with new roots and more flights, that would increase the number of its passengers to three million per year, creating at the same time new jobs.
O` Leary met in Nicosia with the Government`s team responsible for finding a strategic investor for Cyprus` troubled national air carrier. He also met with the Communications Minister Marios Demetriades who said that Ryanair has submitted to the Government a proposal separate from the ongoing process aimed at finding a strategic investor.
Demetriades said the Government will examine Ryanair`s proposal to check whether it meets its expectations.
“From Ryanair`s point of view there is a very exciting future for Cyprus Airways where I believe with the help of Ryan Air we could put Cyprus Airways and Cyprus` tourism back on a path of a very much renewed and rapid growth, with new roots, more flights and new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers here in Cyprus” O` Leary told the press.
He explained that with the plan Ryanair has submitted to the Government of Cyprus, the company expects to grow from 500 thousand passengers last year, to about three million passengers over the next 3-4 years.
“As we explained to the Minister we think we can deliver that growth using Cyprus Airways. So it will be Cyprus Airways growing again from 700 thousand passengers this year to three million in the next few years,” he said.
The Communications Minister said that the Government will examine Ryanair`s proposal and get back to the airline.
“It`s a long proposal and the Government will have to take a careful look at it to see whether it meets our expectations and we of course have our own proposals,” he noted.