Ryanair claims it has not ruled out launching budget flights to Cyprus from the UK in spite of claims from tour operators that they had managed to block the budget airline from entering the market.
Reports in the travel trade press this week suggested tour operators had persuaded the Cyprus authorities not to offer the airline discounted airport fees by claiming low-cost flights would threaten their own business to the island.
The operators’ claims came after Ryanair confirmed it was launching flights from Belgium to Larnaca but made no announcement of its plans to fly from the UK to Cyprus, even though the airline is believed to be keen to launch flights from Stansted.
However, a Ryanair spokesman said: "Cyprus is a long sector market and we have only just started developing these routes. We already fly to Greece from other European destinations, but not from the UK.
"We don’t comment on speculation but it will probably be next summer before we look at developing further into the long sector market."
By Linsey McNeill
