Eight years after its closure, 68 years after the establishment of the national carrier, the people of Cyprus Airlines remember and open their souls to an important part of their lives, which is also an important part of the history of this country.
On Monday 9 January, a commemorative exhibition entitled “I am Cyprus Airlines” was opened to the public for a week, thanks to the painstaking efforts of 25-year air hostess Alexis Sofokleous, who collected testimonies, photographic material, and objects relating to Cyprus Airlines.
The date is symbolic, as this year marks eight years since the day the state-owned carrier closed its wings once and for all and finally parked 68 years of history from the skies to the ground. Alexis told us he was supported by colleagues, members of the extended family, who opened trunks, boxes, and their souls where each one kept the memories and the objects and donated them for the purposes of the exhibition.
The aim was to ensure that the 68-year history of Cyprus Airlines, alongside the history of our country, is not forgotten. Because the state-owned carrier was not just a company, but a living cell of society with a multifaceted contribution, with dozens of ambassadors of our country abroad.
Above all, it was the family of thousands of our compatriots who, over the years, worked and offered safety, consistency, and professionalism, because they firmly believed that “I am Cyprus Airlines”.
The exhibition featured a wealth of photographs of the faces and moments of the company, as well as items bearing the company’s logo. Some of these are rare exhibits that the public had the opportunity to see for the first time.
We saw exhibits with references to the press and photos of the aircraft fleet, from the time when Cyprus Airlines flew up to… Ankara. Through the black and white and color photos, we even saw the old and new Nicosia airports when they were being built. We saw the whole history passing like a film in front of us through the faces of the pilots, the crews, the chief engineers, and the people who staffed the ground services. We saw all the Cyprus Airlines logos and advertising posters used to promote the services. Some of the last remaining ones in the Cyprus Airlines offices, which adorned the walls of the building, were rescued by employees just before they ended up… in the trash.
