The Cyprus-Greece passenger ferry link will operate normally in 2027, while a decision on whether the state subsidy for it will continue from 2028 onwards will be taken within 2027, Acting Director of the Shipping Deputy Ministry Kyriakos Aliouris told CNA.
Speaking to CNA on Saturday, Aliouris said the existing contract, which began in 2022 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 moment there is no issue. Next year the route will operate normally, namely the Greece-Cyprus maritime link,’ he said.
Regarding the subsidy beyond 2027, Aliouris said the Shipping Deputy Ministry had collected data during the five years of operation which would be assessed before a decision is taken.
‘We have collected quite a lot of statistical data, which will obviously help us, as a Deputy Ministry and as a Government, to assess and decide with responsibility,’ he said.
A new proposal will have to be submitted to the Council of Ministers on whether the subsidy should continue and, if it does, a new tender will be required to select a contractor.
‘It is premature and risky at this stage to say anything, whether it will stop or continue. No decision has been taken,’ he said.
Aliouris noted that the decision should be taken within 2027, after the current operating season is completed and the available data assessed. ‘When this year ends, we will look internally at all the data and then decide to proceed with our recommendation to the Council of Ministers,’ he said.
He described the route’s performance as positive, saying that ‘this year is going very well’ and that ‘people have embraced the route.’
Asked about comments by Scandro Holding Ltd CEO Charalambos Manolis that the route could not continue without a renewal of the state subsidy, Aliouris said the issues raised were known to the Deputy Ministry.
He explained that the subsidy was introduced because there were no available data on demand, as there had been no maritime link between Cyprus and Greece for years. ‘We had no data at all. We did not know whether, or to what extent, people would use it,’ he said.
He added that the route also has a social and humanitarian dimension, serving people with a fear of flying or health problems, as well as passengers wishing to travel to Greece with their pets or cars.
Aliouris said the data collected over the past five years now provide a clearer picture of demand, while a private operator would need to find ways to make the route viable throughout the year. Passenger traffic, he added, has increased annually, both in passengers and vehicles, as well as pets, with ‘this year being better than the last five.’
If the government decides to continue state support and launch a new tender, factors including fuel prices and regional conditions will be taken into account when determining the level of the subsidy, he noted.
‘There is no question of the link being interrupted during the current or next period,’ Aliouris stressed, noting that the existing contract covers 2027.
‘People should not worry. This year will end normally, with the last trip taking place on September 1 from the port of Piraeus. And in 2027 the connection is secured, as the contractor is obliged under the existing contract to continue providing the service,’ he assured.
Regarding the period from 2028 onwards, Aliouris reiterated that no decision has yet been taken. The Deputy Ministry will assess the available data after the current season and submit its recommendation to the Council of Ministers within 2027.
CNA/DV/??/2026S, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY