TUS Airways secures AOC, eyes December 1 launch (Cyprus)

Tus Airways (CYF, Larnaca) is aiming to launch scheduled passenger operations on December 1 pending the issuance of all government permits. Having secured its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Cypriot Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) last month, the start-up is still awaiting its commercial air transport licence from the country's Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA).

An acronym for 'The Ultimate Schedule', TUS Airways has so far sourced a single Saab 340B - 5B-DER (cn 167) - for its initial operational requirements. According to Michael Amprikidis, TUS' head of Operations, a further seven aircraft are expected to join the fleet by the end of 2016 of which two will be Saab 2000s. 

In terms of network, the start-up will target Beirut, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, Haifa, Eilat Ovda Int'l, Rhodes, Kos, Samos, and Karpathos initially before expanding further into the Mediterranean. 

The project's backers are reportedly of European and US origin, Amprikidis said.

ch-aviation / Photos:Tus Airways