With a name inspired by the deep blue shades of the Mediterranean Sea, Cobalt seeks to become the nation’s new flag carrier, with the vision to further build on the island’s long and proud aviation history by not only filling the void created after the closure of Cyprus Airways, but also by contributing to the development of the island’s tourism sector and broader economy, as Gregory Diacou, chairman, Cobalt, disclosed.

“The thousands of messages of support that we have received over the recent weeks from Cypriots here and abroad proves that there is tremendous enthusiasm backing Cobalt as the new national carrier,” claimed Diacou.

Andrew Pyne, CEO, Cobalt, threw the spotlight on the gains the airline will bring to the country, saying that the company’s aim is to turn Larnaca into a key hub, focussing on transfer traffic while also promoting Cyprus as an attractive destination.

He proclaimed, “The benefits from developing Larnaca as a true regional hub will flow to every city, town and village across this island.”

After having successfully completed a test flight from Larnaca to Heraklion onboard its first Cyprus-registered Airbus A320, the company received its air operator certificate from the Department of Civil Aviation in May, marking, as Diakou put it, the start of the Cypriot aviation industry’s renaissance.

By the end of June, Cobalt was expected to have added three more aircraft to its fleet, including Airbus A320s and A321s, while by summer 2017, the collection will be also enriched by Airbus A330s.