Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has, for the time being, abandoned plans to secure a Cypriot Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) the Head of Communications at the Irish budget carrier, Robin Kiely, has said.

In a statement to ch-aviation, Kiely said Ryanair was focussing its capacity on growing markets such as Germany, where it will resume domestic operations later this September.

CEO Michael O'Leary announced plans to pursue Cypriot certification in October last year, when chances that Ryanair would be selected as a strategic partner for the now defunct Cyprus Airways (1947) (Larnaca) appeared to fade.

Back then, O'Leary said a Cypriot AOC would allow Ryanair to tap into the vastly underexploited budget markets to Russia, Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan among others.