AIRWAYS SPECIAL
TUS AIRWAYS
The Largest Airline of Cyprus
Story and Photos BABAK TAGHVAEE
Established in 2015 , TUS Airways ( UB ) is the oldest and largest active airline of Cyprus , with a fleet of five Airbus A320-214 narrow-body , single-aisle passenger aircraft . The airline currently connects Cyprus and Israel to each other and to Europe , namely Germany , and Greece .
OVER THE YEARS , the airline has operated 17 different passenger aircraft , starting its activities with Saab 340 and 2000 regional propliners and then continuing with Fokker 70 and 100 regional jetliners .
Like other airlines , TUS Airways was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and suspended its operations in 2020 , resuming them in 2021 with second-hand A320-214s leased from AerCap Holdings NV . In this article , we review the history of the airline and the fate of the aircraft it flew .
THE SAAB 340B AND SAAB 2000 FLEET
On January 9 , 2015 , Cyprus ’ s flag carrier , Cyprus Airways ( CY ), ceased operations after becoming bankrupt . At the time , it was flying 14 Airbus A320 narrow-body passenger aircraft . Throughout its history , the airline had operated various narrow-body planes and even two Airbus A330-243 wide-bodies . Aegean Airlines ( A3 ), the largest airline of Greece and one of the most successful regional ones in Europe , took over some of CY ’ s flights connecting the island to Greece and other destinations .