In the transportation sector, and particularly in aviation, safety is not a technical detail but the “first and non-negotiable obligation,” emphasized, on Sunday morning, the Minister of Transportation, Communications, and Public Works, Evanthia Tsolaki, on Sunday morning, in her commemorative address at the annual memorial service for the victims of the Helios Airlines crash, which occurred on August 14, 2005. The memorial service was held at the Metropolitan Church of St. George in Paralimni, the hometown of many of the 121 victims of this tragedy, presided over by Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia and Ammochostos.
The Minister delivered the memorial address and laid a wreath on behalf of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides. In her memorial address, Ms. Tsolaki described August 14, 2005, as one of the darkest days in the modern history of Cyprus, noting that a journey that began as a routine flight turned into an unspeakable tragedy.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
He made special mention of the victims’ families, noting that, despite the passage of time, time for those who have lost loved ones is not measured by dates.
It is measured, she said, by the empty seats at the table, the missing voices, the holidays that are never the same, and the moments their loved ones should have lived but did not.
The Minister emphasized that the State’s presence today is not merely a formality but a duty owed to the victims’ families. Their pain, she stressed, is neither private nor forgotten, but is part of Cyprus’s collective memory.
She also emphasized the need to link the memory of the tragedy to the State’s responsibility for aviation safety.
As he noted, in the transportation sector—and particularly in aviation—safety is not a technical detail, but the “first and non-negotiable obligation.”
Every rule, every procedure, every inspection, and every oversight mechanism, he noted, exists for one purpose only: the protection of human life. Human life, she emphasized, does not tolerate compromises, omissions, or complacency.
Ms. Tsolaki also underscored the need for continuous evaluation, monitoring, and improvement of procedures, so that safety is not taken for granted, but is treated as a daily obligation and an ongoing effort.
“Let us listen, evaluate, monitor, and improve,” she said, linking the memory of the victims to the State’s obligation to learn lessons and continuously strengthen safety.
The Minister of Transportation particularly emphasized the strength, dignity, and resilience of the victims’ families, who, 21 years after the tragedy, continue to bear the burden of their loss.
She also emphasized that the memory of the victims of the “Helios” will remain alive “not as pain, but as a responsibility,” and not merely as an anniversary, but as a constant reminder that the State has a duty to protect, prevent, and be accountable.
Following the memorial service, a prayer service was held and wreaths were laid at the Paralimni Municipal Cemetery in memory of the victims of the tragedy.
Source: CNA
