Helios announces safety checks on Cyprus planes

NICOSIA - Helios Airways, operator of a crashed Cyprus airliner in which all 121 on board died, announced on Friday it was sending its remaining two Boeing 737s to Sweden for safety checks.

"The company is not grounding its fleet. It will continue flying but we thought it was better to do this to help restore people's confidence and to stop any rumours and fear mongering," Helios spokeswoman Vicky Xitas told Reuters.

The move came hours after a Helios flight from Cyprus to Luton airport in Britain was diverted because the pilot believed he had a problem with the aircraft's flaps.

Last Sunday, a Helios Airways Boeing 737 with six crew and 115 passengers crashed into mountains near Athens on a flight from Larnaca in Cyprus to Prague with a stop in Athens.

- REUTERS