A long-awaited air link between Cyprus and Spain is finally becoming a reality, with Wizz Air launching a new year-round direct route between Larnaca and Madrid.
In an exclusive interview with SigmaLive English, Wizz Air Network Director Andras Szabo discusses the opportunities the new connection creates for Cyprus, from attracting more Spanish visitors to opening new travel opportunities for Cypriots.
He also speaks about Wizz Air’s growing presence on the island, the impact of geopolitical tensions and rising fuel costs on low-cost aviation, and the airline’s plans for further expansion in the Cypriot market.
What do you expect the new direct flight between Cyprus and Madrid to benefit the Cypriot market?
So, this was a very long-awaited connection to finally happen between Cyprus and Spain. The route really has multiple purposes. I would highlight the significant inbound visitor and tourism potential for Cyprus from Spain. We know that Cyprus is attractive to the Spanish, so we can unlock this demand. But also the route is attractive for the locals here in Cyprus to visit Spain, to visit Madrid. We believe there are both cultural and economic importance and relevance between the two points.
What were the key factors and criteria that led you to create this direct route?
We are continuously monitoring the opportunities where it’s most worth and relevant to connect Cyprus. And Spain was for a long time a missing point on the map. There was no consistent year-round connection and we started with Barcelona last year, so we successfully fly now Larnaca-Barcelona and now we are adding Madrid as the second point in Spain.
So we are looking at many factors, economical, touristic factors and also we are looking for example how many people already fly between the two locations with a connection. So, all of these factors led to the conclusion it should be an important flight here.
What can passengers in the Cypriot market expect from Wiz Air in terms of future plans and developments?
I would say the expectation from us is always growth, is always to deliver a lot of visitors to Cyprus and connectivity to Cyprus. And I think we were successful in the recent years to deliver against this expectation. We are a growing airline now. We are one of the largest in Europe and the largest overall in Cyprus. So we also think this comes with a responsibility so that we really work together with the local stakeholders to create value.
Given the ongoing geopolitical turbulence in the Middle East, how has the low-cost travel sector have been affected?
So, I would highlight two things.
One of them is that in the environment of increased fuel prices, which are all over us and impacting the world, among airlines, it’s the low-cost segment, the low-cost airlines who could best deal with such impact because overall our cost structure is competitive and efficient. So we can better absorb and create steel connectivity at higher fuel prices. This is important. And also we see that generally in Europe, the growth in the air travel market is driven by this segment, the low-cost airlines, who provide very good service at affordable and competitive fares. So we think that the current situation overall benefits our market ambitions, not hinders it.
To what extent do you believe that the conflict affected the tourism in Cyprus?
In March-April time and there was some news about local, broader locally speaking tensions, it was thought to affect Cyprus when the peak summer came, June, July, August. I think it was a very nice summer and I think there was no real impact.
So, early fields in the spring were not founded. Still the tourism and overall visitors to Cyprus were kind of similar to last year, maybe slightly below. While in a good year we would try to add year over year and this would be our ambition for next year to actually grow the market, not keep it flat.
What are we there’s plans for further expansion and development in Cyprus?
We are working on to create more seats and make a bigger program for next year. We cannot yet reveal new destinations, but we are evaluating new options. And overall, I think there is a good chance to have an even stronger program.
What are you most proud of about with the biggest achievement, in Cyprus and in general?
We are really proud of this development to Spain, having open Barcelona and Madrid, year-round connections.
But also we are very proud to have a growing base and we have local employment, 4 based aircraft today with chances for more. So it’s always nice to create value for the community and the economy. And that makes us proud.
Also read: From Suez to the Houthis, Cyprus pays for its geography
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