Filenews 20 November 2021 - by Dora Christodoulou
The goal of the twinned cities of Paphos and Alexandria for their direct air connection in the autumn, if the epidemiological conditions allow it, has de facto been lost. This planning, which has been underway since last April in contacts between the Mayor of Pafos, Phedonas Phaedonos, and the Governor of Alexandria, Mohamed El Sherif, with the involvement of the Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdiou and the Minister of Transport, Yiannis Karousos, is still on the table, but now with an unknown timetable for implementation.
This does not mean that the effort is being abandoned, but it is clear that the definitive announcements will not be as immediate as many might have thought. In anticipation of the improvement of the situation with the pandemic, the institutions of the two regions are, however, setting up a joint committee of technocrats to promote the necessary procedures so that flights can start as soon as the epidemiological data allow it. Interest in this route has already been expressed by the Egyptian low-cost airline Air Cairo, which is affiliated with the state-owned Egypt Air.
In the context of the contacts that have already taken place between Pafos and Alexandria, issues related to education, cruise tourism, as well as the further steps in the relations between the two twinned cities through cultural exchanges and other joint activities were also discussed.
The Mayor of Pafos, Phaedon Phaedonos, said that the city attaches particular importance to the establishment of this cooperation, given that Alexandria is a city of 5 million inhabitants, with which Pafos is associated with historical ties that are lost in the depths of the centuries.
"Our first concern," he continued, "is the connection of Pafos with Alexandria to help the two cities, which are predominantly touristic. In addition, in the field of education, the two cities can support and bring together students and young people not only from Cyprus and Egypt, Alexandria but also from the surrounding area, such as Jordan, Lebanon and Greece."
