Cyprus Airways is expecting to take delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 on July 6, with a second aircraft to arrive a week later.
“Both aircraft are brand new coming from the production line in Mirabel [Canada],” Cyprus Airways CEO Paul Sies told Aviation Daily July 22. “The [aircraft] were built for Air Senegal, but never delivered to them. We are taking them directly from the factory with nine hours on the airframe.” The aircraft are on lease from Air Lease Corp.
The two A220-300s feature a separate Business Class section that Cyprus Airways will not remove. “Yes, we are introducing the business class network wide, so also on the A220s,” Sies said.
The current business class is a proof of concept, Sies indicated, as it would take three to five months to reconfigure the aircraft. Cyprus Airways will start flying in the current configuration and in three months will make some changes, adding more economy class seats. “In 12 months, we will decide if we go for a 2 x 2 business class [cabin], which is unique for Europe, or go back to the European Business concept,” Sies added.
Cyprus Airways plans to add 10 additional A220-300s.
“We have secured the 2024 and 2025 arrivals through lessors. The 2026 arrivals will be through lessors; however, we have not chosen which one yet. We are in the stage of finalizing the direct order for 2027 onwards, which would be the first possible delivery date for direct orders,” the CEO said.
The total fleet would comprise 12 A220s by 2028. “The names of lessors and the direct order are to be announced progressively to get maximum exposure,” Sies added.
Sies said Cyprus Airways will keep its A320s for at least another four years. “Then we will decide if we will grow both fleets or go back to one type,” Sies said. The carrier has three A320s in its fleet; one is leased from Nordica.
Asked if he worries regarding PW1500G geared turbofan engine problems that have caused airlines such as SWISS and AirBaltic to ground their A220, Sies said, “We are very careful with this and have good assurances in place if there is an issue.”
Another important topic for the carrier is sustainability. The A220s will help them save to on fuel and decrease direct operating costs (DOC), Sies said. The aircraft offer better passenger appeal along with sustaining frequencies during the off-peak periods. “The 40% decrease in DOC will help us achieve this,” Sies said.
The Larnaca (LCA)-based flag-carrier is also studying new destinations thanks to the A220 performance that were previously tough to make. “Work can be trialed and operated as the operational costs are lower, giving us a big opportunity to maintain services through the winter and also look at new destinations with smaller traffic potential,” Sies said. “In general, summer forward bookings look good, so we trust we will be able to continue positive trends and see growth versus last year and 2019 pre-pandemic.”
“I believe the situation for passengers will be better than 2022, however at some large airports we are seeing wait times growing again,” he added.
