A new airline, called Cycladic, will fly between the Dodecanese islands and Athens using small but luxurious airplanes more reminiscent of private jets than airline carriers. The average cost for a trip will be estimated at around 200 euros, placing the airline’s services in the so-called “affordable luxury” market.
A major part of Cycladic’s promise is that it will be providing solutions to significant communication issues that currently prevail in the Aegean islands, which are home to several public institutions and services of key importance for the economy, education system, civil service, and more.
Members of the company’s management told Kathimerini’s “K” magazine that “the vision is to increase the connection between the Greek islands in a quick and easy way, while the aim is not only to create an exclusive tourist product but also a service that will facilitate the movement of the islands’ permanent residents throughout the year. We cannot talk about sustainable tourism if the actions of the people in the sector do not substantially improve the daily life of the residents in the destinations concerned.”
Cycladic’s future plans include not only the purchase of more aircraft but also an investment in electric planes. The airline will operate on a 12-monthly basis, and it is stated that it will “not operate for subsidized destinations” and is “purely a private initiative and investment.”
The project is a testimony to the fact that Greek tourism is evolving, and with it the needs of Greek and foreign visitors for trips between the country’s top destinations.
In this first stage of its business plan, the airline will use three new Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft, each able to carry between 8 to 12 passengers. Two of these aircraft will operate on specific, regular routes. Tickets can be purchased either online or through agencies. They will have their own codes, like all flights, and check-in will take place as normal at airport desks, like all other commercial flights. The third Cessna Grand Caravan EX will remain available for lease to operate private flights.
Cycladic will initially only fly between certain islands in the Cyclades, Rhodes and Crete. The two aircraft operating these routes will be based in Paros.
The company has a flexible plan which, in addition to the prospect of increasing the size of its fleet, provides for the possibility of adding other destinations, depending on demand. The first flights will start operating in October and will initially link Hania, Santorini, Heraklion, Mykonos, Paros, Rhodes and Syros, but in the winter months a number of other destinations will be added to the schedule, and in the summer Milos will be included too.
With information from moneyreview.gr.
