Mayors of Greek Islands Join Forces, Seek Solution to Ryanair’s Flight Cuts to Kos

Harbor, Kos

The mayors of the islands of Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos and Nisyros have decided to join forces on how to deal with Ryanair’s move to drop Kos from its 2017 summer schedule.

The Irish carrier last month announced that it was cancelling all flights to Kos next summer.

Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis, Kalymnos Mayor Ioannis Galouzis, Leros Mayor Michalis Kollias, Patmos Mayor Grigoris Stoikos and Nisyros Mayor Christofis Koronaios last week signed a joint statement and requested for Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountpura to intervene for the launch of a cooperative advertising deal between the Greek National Tourism Organization and Ryanair, under the condition that the airline reinstates its routes.

According to Ryanair, no flights to Kos in summer 2017 is a loss of some 126,000 passengers for the island.

Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis and Kalymnos Mayor Ioannis Galouzis.

“The Municipality of Kos island is moving on to inter-municipal island partnerships to solve common problems. The issue that arose with Ryanair concerns all five municipalities. We are islands facing several problems… We ask the government to take responsibility and proceed with the obvious”, Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis said in an announcement.

On Wednesday the Greek Tourism Ministry announced that Kos would receive boosted promotion next year.