NICOSIA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- A new Russian-owned airliner being set up in Cyprus has acquired the right to use the logo and brand name of the defunct Cyprus Airways, the Cypriot national air carrier which was wound down in January, 2015, because of lack of liquidity, a statement said on Friday.
It said Charlie Airline bought the Cyprus Airways brand name and logo for just over 2 million euros(2.21 million U.S. dollars) under an agreement which was signed by Cyprus's Finance Minister Haris Georgiades and a Charlie Airline official in Nicosia.
The Cyprus Airways logo is a flying mouflon depicting a species of wild indigenous goat living on the higher peaks of Cyprus's mountains.
The new airline, which is a subsidiary of Russian S7 Airline, is waiting to obtain an air operator's license from Cypriot authorities. It said it will initially start flights by the end of the year to Britain, Greece and Russia.
The name of the company is expected to be changed to Cyprus Airways, to take advantage of the preference of Cypriot travelers for the company, which was a favorite for Cypriot travelers as it enjoyed a good name for its experienced pilots and high safety standards.
The company has appointed a former Cyprus Airways Director General to its corresponding post.
Rising Greek Aegean Airline which has an extensive flight program from Cyprus had also tried to obtain the Cyprus Airways logo and brand name but officials said its offer was not considered firm enough.
