Filenews 9 January 2025
Cyprus, along with Turkey's policy to upgrade the illegal airport of Tymbou or its incorporation, has had to face gaps in recent years regarding aspects of security at its airports.
Specifically, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had sent a letter of formal notice listing 13 points related to airport security and despite some obstruction indicated, a procedure was launched to close the holes identified during an inspection.
The issue of flight safety from illegal actions by Turkey will be discussed before the parliamentary committee on Transport, while in the context of the discussion it is expected to refer to the degree of readiness of the Department of Civil Aviation to handle issues related to airport security issues. It is noted that in addition to the effective control of the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus, the responsibility of which lies with the Department of Civil Aviation, the safe operation of airports requires the cooperation of other services such as the Fire Brigade.
The issue of flight safety risks was written by Marinos Mousiouttas (chairman of the Transport Committee and Larnaka MP Christos Orphanides. Mr. Mousiouttas wrote an issue under the title "The problems that may arise for the safety of flights in the airspace of Cyprus after the statements of the Turkish side about direct flights to the illegal airport" while MP Christos Orphanides included a topic for discussion under the title "The risks to the safety of Nicosia FIR flights as a result of Turkish illegalities and the actions of the pseudo-state and the need for the Republic of Cyprus to have a comprehensive strategy to deal with them.
Mr. Moussiouttas told "F" that the Commission will be properly informed about the situation and will provide any assistance required.
However, MP Christos Orphanides had raised the issue of flight safety since February 2022 in a letter to the then President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades. In a relevant letter, Mr. Orphanides informed the President that confidential information had been brought before him on the basis of which the Civil Aviation of Turkey, in cooperation with the Research Center of EUROCONTROL, had begun the restructuring of the Turkish FIR. Based on this information, the project was implemented with the help of special simulators and it was requested that the FIR of the pseudo-state be included in the exercises. As Mr Orphanides pointed out, some time ago information had come to light in the Turkish Cypriot press according to which it was intended that flights to the illegal airport of Tymbou would be considered domestic flights.
Mr. Orphanides had sent a letter with similar content addressed to the current President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides.
Moreover, the Minister of Transport, Mr. Alexis Vafeadis, who was informed about this, in a letter to the MP, observes that Turkey, like the other member countries of EUROCONTROL, can make use of the possibilities available to this Organization to conduct studies with a view to developing air infrastructure and air routes as well as improving aviation safety.
Similarly, Cyprus has similarly used these capabilities to redesign the Nicosia airspace under its responsibility.
According to the minister, to this end, a team of air traffic controllers of the Flight Control Center in 2019 went to France to staff simulators, while designing and implementing the new runway structure, significantly serving the increased traffic.
Finally, Mr. Vafeadis, commenting on the relevant reports on the basis of which thoughts are being made to define the illegal airport in the occupied areas as Turkish (hence the reference to domestic flights), this would conflict with UN resolutions and the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Convention which Turkey has ratified.
