Cyprus’s air traffic controllers’ union has warned that Turkish military flights are routinely entering the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR) without flight plans or direct communication with Ankara, creating risks that controllers must manage daily. The warning came during a joint session of parliament’s Defence and Transport Committees on the risks Turkish activity poses to flight safety.
Near-miss on August 19
On August 19, a Turkish military Airbus A400 entered the Nicosia FIR without communication and outside its declared flight plan, putting it on a converging course with a passenger Boeing 737 — an incident the union cited as characteristic of a wider pattern. The union said such incidents are not isolated, and that the frequency of Turkish military flights and drones in the Nicosia FIR has increased.
Union president Giorgos Georgiou said the problem is not new. Similar warnings were first raised back in 2012.
Severe understaffing at air traffic control
The session also heard serious concerns about understaffing in air traffic control services. Of the roughly 140 positions required at the Air Traffic Control Centre, only 90 are currently filled, though a process to fill 15 further positions is under way. Controllers warned that this shortage is adding pressure to an already strained system, with knock-on risks: shortages at the Control Centre and at the Larnaca and Paphos towers and Approach Radar could lead to flight delays from the summer of 2027.
One measure controllers see as essential to addressing the shortage — faster hiring, staff training and system modernisation — is a long-stalled plan for a state air navigation company. The Cabinet approved the plan in 2013 and the legislative framework was passed in 2019, but the company has still not become operational.
Dispute over Greek F-16 flights
Although the session’s original focus was Turkish actions and the activities of the “pseudo-state,” discussion expanded to cover flights by Greek F-16 fighter jets based in Paphos.
AKEL MPs raised concerns with Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas that the jets’ daily flights might be disturbing citizens and tourists. They suggested the National Guard publish flight schedules in advance so the public would know when to expect activity.
The shift in focus drew a strong reaction from ELAM MPs, who objected to moving the discussion away from Turkish incursions. ELAM leader Christos Christou suggested that if AKEL MPs wanted to discuss the issue, they should raise it at a separate committee session, since this one was focused on the flight-safety risks created by Turkish violations and the actions of the “pseudo-state.”
The National Guard responded that publishing daily flight plans for the Greek jets was not practically advisable, since the flights are not always conducted within strict time windows and are affected by several factors, including weather. National Guard Chief, Lieutenant General Emmanouil Theodorou, cited the example of a Greek island where daily fighter jet transits take place without affecting the daily life of residents or tourists.
The session was attended by the Defence Minister, the Transport Minister, the National Guard Chief, and representatives of the Department of Civil Aviation, the Foreign Ministry, air traffic controllers and pilots.
