Filenews 17 September 2022
There were zero delays in Cyprus' airspace in 2022, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
As he notes, Cyprus should feel proud of its performance in 2022, especially during the summer season, in terms of air traffic and aircraft delays in its airspace.
It states that the International Agency for the Safety of European Air Traffic, known as Brussels-based EUROCONTROL, in its recent comprehensive report released on 15 September, among other things, states that flights to Europe last week averaged about 30 300 per day, which is a decrease of 13%, compared to the same week of 2019. On an annual basis, in 2022, the traffic reached the levels of 82% of 2019.
Arrivals and departures at the two airports of the Republic of Cyprus last week showed a decrease of only 12%, compared to the same week of 2019. It is added that the Nicosia Flight Control Centre manages more than 1,200 flights per day throughout the current summer season, without any delay or inconvenience to the airlines.
In a statement, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, said that the Ministry of Transport is not complacent but will continue its efforts to upgrade the Air Traffic Services, with the creation of outreach radar services at the two airports, the upgrade and relocation of the Nicosia Flight Control Center to modern facilities in Kokkinotrimithia, etc.
Also, Mr. Karousos praises the contribution of air traffic control employees for their professionalism and dedication.
It is noted that the daily capacity of the Nicosia Flight Control Center in 2019 while it was about 1,000 aircraft, Cyprus served more than 1,500 flights, but with several delays.
"However, with the proper planning of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the Department of Civil Aviation, with the cooperation of EUROCONTROL and the Civil Aviation Authorities of Israel and Greece, adjustments and redesign of our busy runways were made, with the result that in 2022 more than 1200 flights with zero delays are served daily, while delays in the rest of Europe are at high levels, despite the decrease in traffic due to the pandemic and the war crisis in eastern Europe," the statement stressed.
The efficiency of the Nicosia Flight Control Center has already been evident since 2021, albeit with the reduced air traffic, where airlines managed to save more than 5.6 million nautical miles, 44,000 tons of fuel and 140,000 tons of CO2, the Ministry concludes.
