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CAIR: The cost of strikes is catastrophic

19/10/2011 12:34
The impacts on Cyprus Airways from the strikes of the air traffic controllers in Greece are huge, since the direct and indirect losses have pushed the cost of the strikes at €3-4 million.

In his statements to StockWatch, CAIR spokesman, Kyriakos Kyriakou, said that the exact sum has not been calculated, however, the cost of the strikes is estimated to have exceeded €304 million for the total duration of the strikes started in September, while on October 9 it was calculated at €2 million.

“For every minute of delay, the company loses €80 million”, he stressed.

Referring to an incident, he said that last Thursday the Company was informed on the damage of the air traffic control in Greece, causing huge delays. “The cost of delays on that day only reached €400 thousand”, Mr. Kyriakou noted.

At the same time, he stressed that the problem does not have to do with the direct cost only but with the indirect too, which concerns the reaction of the passengers that will be affected, who will choose other airlines that do not face the restrictions of CAIR in executing flights over Turkey.

“If all parameters are taken into account, the cost is catastrophic”, Mr. Kyriakou said.

New arrangements

As for the impacts of the strikes on the company’s flight schedule, no Cyprus Airways flight will be executed today despite the end of the strike of the air traffic controllers in Greece.

In his statements to StockWatch, Mr. Kyriakou said that although the strike was reduced to 12 hours instead of 48, all flights for today have been cancelled.

Cyprus Airways have contacted their passengers and many of them cancelled their trip, choosing to travel in the next few days, Mr. Kyriakou said. “The change of flights was free of charge”, he added.

At the same time, he said that the few passengers left will travel with charter flights of Cyprus Airways or other companies.

According to a Cyprus Airways announcement, the decision not to execute flights today “was taken on the basis of the fact that the passengers that were to travel have accepted the arrangements that have been made, since all other sectors in Greece will be on strike today and tomorrow”.

“The charter flights initially planned in the midnight of October 20 have been rescheduled and will depart earlier on the same day.

Specifically, the flight to and from Athens will depart at 17.00 from Larnaca while that of to and from Thessaloniki will depart at 18.00 from Larnaca.

Finally, Cyprus Airways is in contact with the passengers for the new arrangements.