Cyprus Airways has signed a wide-ranging codeshare and interline agreement with Air France that immediately places the French carrier’s “AF” code on up to six weekly flights between Larnaca and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Announced on 21 July and already live in reservation systems, the deal offers business travellers one-ticket access to Air France’s global network via CDG while putting Cyprus on the map for long-haul itineraries to Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Under the arrangement, passengers originating in Cyprus will earn Flying Blue miles, enjoy through-check of baggage and benefit from protected connections at CDG—critical for tight transfer windows. The partners have also created reciprocal interline options on Larnaca–Athens and Larnaca–Milan sectors, allowing itineraries such as Sydney–Paris–Larnaca to be issued on a single ticket. For corporates the biggest gain is schedule flexibility: the summer timetable offers midday and evening departures in both directions, enabling same-day onward connections to key financial centres like New York, Singapore and São Paulo. Travel-management companies estimate that the codeshare could shave up to 90 minutes off total journey times compared with indirect routings via London or Athens. Tourism strategists see the move as another vote of confidence in Cyprus’ efforts to position Larnaca as an Eastern-Mediterranean hub. The agreement follows recent incentives introduced by Hermes Airports, including reduced landing fees for airlines that open year-round services. With France now among Cyprus’ top-10 inbound markets, hoteliers expect the codeshare to sustain shoulder-season demand and support meetings-and-events traffic. Travellers should note that the flights are operated with Cyprus Airways’ new Airbus A220s, featuring a dedicated 12-seat Business Class cabin and on-board Wi-Fi. Seats booked under the Air France code will include Air France baggage allowances and lounge access for eligible Flying Blue tiers at CDG and LCA.
Source: KNEWS / Kathimerini Cyprus
