Cyprus air traffic controllers warn of Turkish military aircraft incursions

The Cyprus Air Traffic Controllers Union has raised serious concerns regarding flight safety due to the near-constant presence of unauthorized Turkish military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in critical flight paths near Larnaca and Paphos airports.

The Union highlighted a specific incident involving a Turkish military aircraft, designated TUAF770, which failed to respond to communications from the Nicosia Air Traffic Control Centre. The aircraft deviated from its flight plan and climbed toward flight level FL360, while a Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft, TOM56T, was descending toward FL350. Air traffic controllers intervened to prevent a potential mid-air collision by instructing the Boeing aircraft to halt its descent.

According to the Union, these incursions are not isolated events but a persistent issue occurring “24 hours a day, seven days a week, for decades.” The Union further noted that the situation is exacerbated by Ankara’s refusal to maintain two-way communication with the Nicosia Air Traffic Control Centre, describing the behavior as a “complete indifference to passenger safety.”