Paphos Airport gets off to good start

The new Paphos International Airport in Cyprus began hosting flights this week and encountered no operational problems, according to reports.

Prior to the full opening on November 17th, operating company Hermes carried out a number of tests to ensure there would be no teething problems, including the mock use of the airport's facilities.

Hermes spokesman Adam Aspris told the Cyprus Mail that the pre-launch checks were effective and the first full day of operations was completed without a hitch.

"We are very pleased about the first day of operation and all the procedures ran smoothly," he said.

"There were no major problems, and the passengers seemed pleased with the level and quality of service they received."

The first departure from the new airport was a Cyprus Airways flight to Heathrow Airport, while the first arrival was a Finnair service from Helsinki.

Some 14 flights landed and the same number took off from the new Paphos Airport on its first day. In its first year of operations, the hub could handle up to 2.7 million passengers.

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