Cobalt Air suspends flights

Cobalt, a low-cost Cypriot airline, which was the largest carrier in Cyprus, operated two or three flights a day from Heathrow and Gatwick to Larnaca on the south coast of the Mediterranean island and Stanstead has suspended operations indefinitely and warned passengers booked on its flights not to turn up.

It added “We sincerely apologise once again and would like to thank our very loyal customers for their support over the last two years of Cobalt operations”.

Cobalt, which employs 200 people, has been operating flights out of Cyprus since 2016 and expanded to 20 destinations adding a business class and a frequent flyer programme.

Cobalt’s Chinese backers had difficulty in channelling funds to the airline, which operated with six leased Airbus aircraft. The remaining £17.3 million in its accounts will now be used to pay staff.

Cyprus ministry of Transport advised stranded passengers to book alternative flight home on another airlines and keep receipts to be eligible for reimbursement.

Travel firms who sold ATOL-protected package holidays with Cobalt flights are responsible for providing alternative transport home or full refunds for those with future bookings.

Those who made flight-only purchases the only protection is through card providers or travel insurance policies.

It is the latest budget airline to run into difficulties after Denmark’s Primera Air ceased trading earlier this month.