Cyprus-Greece ferry link secured for 2027 as subsidy decision awaits

Economy cyprusGreeceTop News Cyprus-Greece ferry link secured for 2027 as subsidy decision awaits Krouaziera Id 1631346 1024x573 Relevant News Cyprus-Greece ferry link secured for 2027 as subsidy decision awaits 8 August 2026 ‘Mom, don’t call me’: Inside Thailand’s deadly school shooting 8 August 2026 Police probe monastery attack as tensions over monk’s conduct come into focus 8 August 2026 newsroom 8 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Cyprus-Greece passenger ferry link is secured for 2027, while a decision on whether state subsidies will continue from 2028 onwards will be taken during next year, Deputy Director at the Shipping Deputy Ministry Kyriakos Aliouris said on Saturday. Aliouris said the existing contract, which began in 2022 and was initially for three years with an option for a further three-year extension, has been extended until 2027. “Until next summer, the contractor is obliged to provide the services under the terms of the contract,” he said. “So, at this point there is no issue. The route will operate normally next year, meaning the Greece-Cyprus maritime connection.” On whether the subsidy will continue from 2028, Aliouris said the Shipping Deputy Ministry has collected statistics and data over the five years the service has been operating, which will be assessed before a decision is made. “We have collected a considerable amount of statistical information and data, which will obviously help us, as a Deputy Ministry and as a government, to assess the situation and make a serious and responsible decision,” he said. A new proposal will have to be submitted to the Council of Ministers on whether to continue the subsidy. If state support is maintained, a new tender will also have to be launched to select an operator. “So, at this stage it is both premature and risky to say whether it will stop or continue. No decision has been taken,” Aliouris said. Asked when a decision was expected, he said it would have to be made during 2027, after this year’s operating season is completed and all available information has been assessed. “Certainly, once this year is completed, we will sit down internally, examine all the data and then decide how to proceed with our recommendation to the Council of Ministers,” he said. Aliouris described the service’s performance as positive, saying that “this year has gone very well so far” and that “people have embraced the route”. He was also asked about comments by Charalambos Manolis, chief executive of contractor Scandro Holding Ltd, who said the service could not continue without a renewal of the state subsidy. Aliouris said the issues raised by Manolis were already known to the Deputy Ministry. He explained that the subsidy was originally introduced because there was no available data on demand for the service, following years without a passenger ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece. “There was no data at all on what would happen. We did not know whether people would use it or to what extent,” he said, adding that lower requirements were therefore initially included in the contract. “People appear, however, to have embraced this route,” he said. Aliouris also highlighted what he described as the social and humanitarian dimension of the service, saying it caters, among others, to people with a fear of flying or health problems, as well as passengers who want to travel to Greece with their pets or vehicles. On the possibility of operating without a state subsidy, Aliouris said the data collected over the past five years now provides a clearer picture of demand. Any private operator taking on the service would have to examine ways of making the route viable throughout the year, he added. Passenger traffic has increased each year, he said, including the numbers of passengers, vehicles and pets carried, adding that “this year is better than the previous five”. If the Deputy Ministry concludes that state support should continue and launches a new tender, Aliouris said the conditions at the time would be taken into account, including fuel prices and the situation in the region. “Certainly, if we decide to launch a new tender, everything will be taken into the equation when deciding the level of the subsidy,” he said. Aliouris stressed that there is no question of the service being suspended during the current or next operating season, as the existing contract covers 2027. “People should not worry. This year will be completed normally, with the final voyage taking place on 1 September from the port of Piraeus. And the connection is secured for 2027, as the contractor is obliged under the existing contract to continue providing the service,” he said. As for the service from 2028 onwards, Aliouris reiterated that no decision has yet been taken. The Deputy Ministry will assess the available data after the end of this year’s operating season and submit its recommendation to the Council of Ministers during 2027. 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