The island’s commercial aviation scene has changed substantially since the failure of Cyprus Airways in 2015 with a wave of new airlines vying to replace the former flag carrier. They include Cobalt Air, which has bold plans to transform its home market from seasonal leisure destination to Mediterranean hub. Airliner World’s Craig West travelled to Larnaca to find out more.
“It was a competition to see who was out of the gate first, and we seem to have hit it just right,” Andrew Madar tells Airliner World. Sitting in an office on the sixth floor of Cobalt Air’s headquarters in downtown Larnaca, the CEO is understandably proud of the carrier’s progress to date. Barely a year after its July 2016 launch, the Cypriot airline now operates six aircraft, has a network spanning almost 20 destinations and is pushing hard to assume the mantle of flag carrier.
