Two TUS Airways airplanes have been grounded after Civil Aviation rejected a request for additional time to repair problems with their landing wheels, Phileleftheros reported on Saturday, citing informed sources.
It said a third aircraft is also undergoing minor maintenance work at the suggestion of the Civil Aviation.
The paper said TUS had obtained confirmation from the manufacturers that it would not object to the two planes continuing flights, provided the Civil Aviation Department gave its consent. The department decided not to give the green light.
A fourth TUS plane is abroad for maintenance and is due back any day to resume operations.
TUS was licensed by Cypriot authorities in 2015 and launched flights in March the following year. It has a fleet of seven aircraft — two 100 seat Fokker 100 and five 80 seat Fokker 70.
Yesterday TUS leased planes from another European company to carry out its flights.
TUS sources told Phileleftheros that there had been an issue with the two airplanes which were already scheduled for maintenance and therefore not part of the flight schedule.
Neither of the planes faces a technical problem but needed a change of a spare part as part of the maintenance schedule, the source said.
The same source said the change has been carried out and both airplanes are ready for flights. Cyprus was the only one of 20 countries not to grant an extension for the change of the spare part, the same source said.
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