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Wizz Air’s President: We want to continue building on our position as number one at Larnaca airport

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Wizz Air’s President: We want to continue building on our position as number one at Larnaca airport

– Wizz Air established a base at Larnaca Airport in 2020.
– Since its establishment, Wizz Air has doubled its capacity at Larnaca Airport.
– Wizz Air is now the leading airline in Larnaca and the second overall in Cyprus.
– In 2023, Wizz Air experienced a significant increase in passenger numbers in Cyprus compared to 2022.
– The increase in passengers was attributed to new destinations, Cyprus’s tourism strategy, and Wizz Air’s low fares.
– Wizz Air navigated challenges such as the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas by quickly reallocating capacity and was the first airline to return to pre-COVID levels by volume.
– Wizz Air operates at 160% of its pre-COVID capacity.
– The airline is focused on sustainability and is investing in new technology for the future, including the potential development of hydrogen aircraft.
– Cyprus aims to attract tourists from a wider range of countries and has been successful during the 2023 tourist season.
– Operational challenges in summer 2022 led Wizz Air to invest in schedule resilience.
– Wizz Air plans to continue growing, with potential new routes and increased frequencies to existing destinations.
– The airline carried 60 million passengers in 2023 and operates a fleet of around 180 aircraft, with plans to grow by 30 to 40 aircraft per year.

UNFICYP: A three-month mission that has dragged on for 60 years

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UNFICYP: A three-month mission that has dragged on for 60 years

On March 4, 1964, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 186 (1964), recommending the creation of a United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for an initial period of three months, due to the situation in Cyprus potentially threatening international peace and security. The first peacekeepers, including Canadians, British, and Finns, arrived shortly after. Since then, over 100,000 peacekeepers from various countries have served in UNFICYP. The force’s mandate includes preventing tensions between the two sides, maintaining law and order in the buffer zone, and contributing to a settlement by building trust and confidence between the sides. Currently, UNFICYP comprises over 800 military peacekeepers from 17 countries, divided into British, Argentinian, and Slovak contingents, responsible for different sections of the buffer zone. UNFICYP also includes a police force of 69 officers from 13 countries, with Ireland being the main contributor. The mission focuses on preventing tensions and building relationships rather than using force, with the use of force as a last resort. UNFICYP has been successful in maintaining calm and stability in the buffer zone. The mission has seen 187 peacekeepers lose their lives, with the last death occurring in 2015. UNFICYP is planning events to honor those who have worked to maintain peace on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.

Monachus not so monastic anymore, as the seals are here to stay

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Monachus not so monastic anymore, as the seals are here to stay

– The Monachus Monachus is an endangered Mediterranean seal.
– Cypriot waters have seen a steady rise in seal numbers year after year due to environmental service measures protecting their habitat.
– Seal numbers in Cyprus increased from 7-10 in 2010 to 22 last year.
– The seal ecosystem in Cyprus is mostly in protected Natura 2000 maritime regions and off the British Bases in Limassol.
– Seals were spotted for the first time at the Anassa hotel beach, using it for resting and caring for newborns.
– A detailed outlook of the Mediterranean seal was presented in Peyia at an event co-organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment.
– The Cape Greco coastal caves are rarely used by seals due to increased human activity.
– The Ayia Napa sea caves are popular for reproduction and resting, with up to six seals recorded using the caves at a time.
– Seals have been spotted resting in regional caves from Governor’s Beach to the recycling plant area in the west.
– A 55-meter deep cave at Ayios Yeorgios Alamanos is an important shelter for reproduction and resting, with seals traveling up to 150 kilometers to use it.
– The name Monachus Monachus possibly comes from the thick layer of skin under its neck resembling a Catholic monk’s religious hood, not from a monastic nature as earlier believed.
– The Mediterranean seal is the rarest of 33 species worldwide and the only one in the genus Monachus, making it the number one endangered mammal in Europe with only 700 left.
– Half of the remaining population lives and reproduces in Greece, and another 100 off the southern coast of Turkey.
– Systematic monitoring and protection are crucial for the survival and rejuvenation of the species, which can dive down to 200 meters and reproduces in Cyprus from September to December.