From Warsaw to Larnaca. Why was Cyprus Airways listed on the departures board?

After the closure of Nicosia Airport, Larnaca became Cyprus's new air gateway. In the following years, thousands of Poles flew to the island on LOT Polish Airlines flights, although many remember the Cyprus Airways logo also appearing on departure boards or tickets. This wasn't a mistake, but rather the result of cooperation between the two national carriers.

Just a few decades ago, traveling to Cyprus was completely different than it is today. Without budget airlines, mobile apps, and online price comparison sites, most tickets were purchased through travel agencies or airlines. For many, their island vacation began the moment they picked up their paper plane ticket.

Following the events of 1974, Cyprus was forced to quickly find a new solution. Nicosia Airport was closed and never reopened to regular passenger traffic. Larnaca quickly assumed the role of the main airport, and remains the Republic of Cyprus's most important air gateway to this day.

Larnaca has become Cyprus' window to the world

The new airport was initially intended as a temporary facility. However, it was built at lightning speed, as the island could not function without international air connections. Over time, the port was expanded and gradually became a modern airport serving an increasing number of passengers.

It was from Larnaca that a new history of air connections between Cyprus and Europe began.

In the following years, regular flights were introduced by many European carriers, including LOT Polish Airlines.

When you flew with LOT but saw Cyprus Airways

Older passengers often recall a certain interesting fact.

They were buying a flight to Warsaw, and at the airport or in the reservation system, the name Cyprus Airways appeared alongside the LOT logo. This was surprising for many.

In reality, this did not mean that there were two planes flying on the route.

It was a cooperation between two national carriers based on an agreement code share.

What exactly is codeshare?

Code-share is a solution used by airlines around the world.

This allows a single flight to be sold simultaneously by two carriers under different flight numbers. A passenger purchases a ticket with one airline, while the other operates the flight. The reservation system always identifies which airline is the actual flight operator.

This gives passengers a wider choice of sales locations, easier transfers, and the ability to purchase their entire journey on a single ticket. This type of cooperation has been standard in global aviation for many years.

Cooperation between LOT and Cyprus Airways

On the Warsaw – Larnaca route, the cooperation between LOT Polish Airlines and Cyprus Airways was completely natural for many passengers.

By purchasing a ticket at a Cyprus Airways office, you could fly on a LOT flight. Passengers using LOT's services might have encountered Cyprus Airways logos on departure boards or travel documents.

This solution allowed both carriers to offer more connections without having to launch additional flights. Most importantly, passengers could travel on a single ticket.

LO171 and LO172

Many Poles living in Cyprus still remember the markings very well. LO171 and LO172.

For years, these numbers were associated with regular journeys between Warsaw and Larnaca. For some, they marked the beginning of a vacation, for others, a journey to see family or a return home.

However, we have not been able to definitively confirm the exact year these numbers were used on this route. Extant archival materials do not allow us to pinpoint the precise date of their introduction, although passengers themselves frequently recall these markings.

If there are any of our readers who have old tickets, flight schedules or photographs from that period, we will be happy to add their memories to this material.

Did you know that…

Codeshare agreements are so common these days that during a single trip, you can fly with one airline, buy a ticket with another, and earn miles with a third airline's loyalty program. For the passenger, information is always paramount. "Operated by...", i.e. which airline actually operates the flight.

Today, this no longer surprises anyone.

Currently, similar partnerships exist virtually worldwide. Thanks to them, airlines can offer a wider network of connections and passengers can more easily plan trips with connections.

Decades ago, however, this was something new for many people flying to Cyprus. Some bought their tickets through LOT Polish Airlines, others through Cyprus Airways, but very often they all sat on the same plane.

It is stories like these that show how much travel between Poland and Cyprus has changed over the past decades.

In the next article in our series, we will show you what a flight from Poland to Cyprus looks like today and why the modern journey takes only a few hours, while just a few decades ago it was a real expedition.

---

Sources: Cyprus Airways materials on codeshare agreements, Hermes Airports information on the history of Larnaca Airport, own study by the editorial staff and analysis of archival materials on air connections between Poland and Cyprus