Air traffic unions demand action after near-collision over Cyprus

Air traffic controller unions are calling for urgent international intervention following a near-collision in the Nicosia Flight Information Region on 19 August. The incident involved a Turkish Air Force Airbus A400M military transport aircraft and a TUI Airways Boeing 737 passenger jet. According to reports, the military aircraft entered the airspace without establishing radio contact and diverged from its flight plan, climbing toward 36,000 feet while the passenger jet was descending toward 35,000 feet on a converging path.

The Air Traffic Controllers' European Unions Coordination (Atceuc) stated that the event highlights persistent safety risks caused by a lack of coordination between the Republic of Cyprus' civil aviation authority and Turkish/Turkish Cypriot air traffic control. Unions noted that the European Commission described the lack of coordination in the area as “unsustainable and unacceptable” as early as 2012, yet the situation remains unresolved.

Demands for action include involvement from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an EU-led safety review of the Nicosia FIR, and the establishment of a reliable two-way communication framework between Ankara and Nicosia to manage uncoordinated military and civilian traffic.