AS FAR as Greek names go, Helios – Sun – is fine for an airline. But Marcus Seiler, the Swiss chief executive of the new charter airline, will have to be careful to avoid comparisons with another well known Greek figure – Icarus – the little boy who flew too close to the sun, and got badly burnt in the process.
“We hope that Helios will be a success from day one: it will be playing an important part in liberalising Cyprus’ skies,” said Seiler.
The opportunity for Seiler to set up an independent Cypriot charter arose last May, when the Cypriot Air Transport Authority – which has traditionally held a tight rein on Cyprus’ air space – granted a licence to operate non-scheduled flights to the island.
The decision coincided with what Seiler saw as a genuine gap in the market for independent tour operators which were having difficulties transporting an increasing number of British tourists to Cyprus.
The first UK route – starting at the end of May – will run from Gatwick to Larnaca, and there are plans to introduce Paphos from Gatwick and Manchester in the winter. Steiler is anticipating 50,000 passengers this year, rising to 190,000 next year and 215,000 by 2002.
“Around 55% of our passengers will be British, but we also fly from Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Ukraine and Poland,” said Seiler.
Confirmed UK clients so far include Olympic and Goldensun, though Christodoulides confirmed that there had also been interest from Amathus, JMC and First Choice.
Olympic Holidays’ backing of the new venture was perhaps inevitable, given that, while not a major shareholder, it is a strategic investor, and that managing director George Michalias sits on the board of directors.
“We will of course be using Helios from the start,” said Michalias
“Cyprus Airways can’t fulfil all of our requirements. We need something like Helios – though obviously it won’t be the only charter we will use. Air 2000 will still be our biggest supplier by far,”he added.
Helios sales and marketing manager Andreas Christodoulides stressed that the market is ready for a new charter carrier. “We don’t really see ourselves as a competitor to anybody – we are filling a natural gap in the market. We aren’t concerned about any overcrowding.” For the time being, all of Helios’ passengers will be delivered on just one aircraft: a leased 170-seat Boeing 737-400. But the company will take delivery of two next generation 189-seat B737-800s in April next year, equipped with in-flight entertainment systems.
Until then, Helios will operate single-class flights, but will be able to offer a dual-class product upon delivery of the new aircraft.
The next step in the operation, said Seiler, will be to offer charter services to the Greek Islands, Egypt and Israel.
Though he has no specific date in mind, he is keen to offer two to three-day sightseeing tours in co-operation with a cruise operator, where clients fly out and sail back.
The biggest step though would be into scheduled routes to Cyprus – unchartered territory for a small independent airline. This all depends on approval from the Cypriot Air Transport Authority, which Seiler believes could happen by 2003.
“Cyprus’ ambitions to join the European Union have opened things up a bit -Êleisure charter airlines are the first things to have been liberalised.
“We now have to keep the pressure up for a licence to operate scheduled routes.”
Helios’ scheduled objectives would at first be limited to routes such as Stansted-Larnaca and Athens-Larnaca. As for the type of scheduled service it would offer, Seiler said it would be neither an exclusive nor a no-frills operation – but perhaps something in the Air 2000 mould:a charter airline which also offers mid-price scheduled services.
Regarding destinations, marketing director Andreas Christodoulides said Helios would only operate a certain route if it fits in 100% with the company’s objectives.
Both he and Steiler stressed that it is not in the company’s interests to try and operate routes to all of the major European capitals:the focus is firmly on the leisure and not the business travel market.
Cyprus Tourism Organisation UK director Orestis Rossides has reserved judgement at this early stage.