Only 90 of the 140 positions needed at the air traffic controllers' control center are filled, as reported today, Thursday during the joint session of the Defense and Transportation Committees in Parliament. The discussion focused on flight safety risks in the Nicosia FIR resulting from Turkish violations and the actions of the pseudo-state, and highlighted the need for adequate staffing and theupgrading of the Air Traffic Control Center’s systems, as well as the creation of a state-owned air navigation company. The session, which was held behind closed doors, Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas and Transportation Minister Evi Tsolaki were also present.
Sotiris Ioannou, Chairman of the Transport Committee and an ELAM MP, referred, in remarks made after the session ended, to the need to strengthen the role and capabilities of air traffic controllers, noting that “often, flight safety depends on their timely response to these situations.” As he said, “it is telling that there are 140 positions, and of those, only 90 are filled,” adding that the 2019 legislation regarding the creation of a state-owned company “as is the case throughout the European Union” should be reviewed.
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When asked whether assurances had been given regarding the filling of positions, he stated that the process of filling 15 positions is underway, noting that there is a provision to strengthen and upgrade the systems by 2030, and that the issue of the state-owned company—which was approved by Parliament in 2019—remains pending. He also said that the committee will send an inquiry to the Ministry of Finance regarding the current status of this specific issue, “and if we see that it’s stalled somewhere, we’ll hold a separate meeting to address it”. He added that the issue of staffing in civil aviation will also be examined during the debate on the national budget in a few weeks.
He also pointed out that strong diplomatic interventions with the European Union are needed to impose sanctions on Turkey, noting that Turkey “receives millions in funding every year from the European Union for these issues, yet at the same time harasses the Republic of Cyprus, a country and a member state of the European Union.”
He also appeared annoyed, noting that during the session, AKEL raised a question with the Ministry of Defense regarding Greek military aircraft, describing it as “inappropriate and out of touch with reality for some to be displeased or bothered by the presence of the Greek Air Force.”
Former Minister of Defense and DISY MP Charalambos Petridis stated that during the joint session of the Defense and Transportation Committees, we identified the risks that may arise for flight safety from potential violations of national or international airspace. We have condemned any and all such violations and infringements. The key issue is to resolve the problem of understaffing among air traffic controllers. It has been stated in Parliament that there is a serious shortage of staff, so this is an issue that must be resolved immediately, as well as the operation of the state-owned company, which will provide flexibility and solutions to all these issues.
He called on the government to move forward with these solutions, as flight safety and the safety of citizens must be ensured immediately so that we can achieve the best possible outcome. He emphasized that “precisely because the number of flights has increased significantly in recent years, we must examine this issue very carefully so as not to burden air traffic controllers with even more work, which is also very important.”
AKEL MP Valentinos Fakontis stated that “As AKEL, we condemn any action by Turkey that violates the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus, characterizing these violations as unacceptable and reprehensible. He also called on international partners responsible for flight safety, such as ICAO, the specialized UN agency that regulates and organizes international transportation, as well as EASA, the European Union’s competent authority for aviation safety, to pay particular attention to the situation, given the specific circumstances prevailing in Cyprus. He added that, beyond the violations and infringements of Cyprus’s airspace, the proximity of Larnaca Airport to that of Tympou poses risks. “Consequently, ICAO and EASA have increased responsibilities here as well,” he said. He also noted that as long as the Cyprus problem remains unresolved, “we will continue to see violations and protests,” adding that for AKEL, protest alone is not enough; rather, it seeks “a solution to the Cyprus problem, which will come only through substantive negotiations,” as he noted.
For his part, DIKO MP and one of the rapporteurs on the issue, Adamos Aspris, emphasized the importance of strengthening both the technological infrastructure and the staffing of the air traffic control service, noting that “our safety literally lies in the hands of air traffic controllers.” He added that “we should not give the impression that any civilian aircraft entering the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus, into the Cyprus FIR, is more or less entering a gray area,” noting that this would be a mistaken impression that would harm the public interest and harm the Republic of Cyprus, emphasizing that aspects of the issue pertain to the country’s sovereignty, the tourism industry, and the state’s economy. He noted, however, that “yes, there is a serious problem, but it requires a delicate approach.”
Warnings since 2012
Furthermore, according to a statement issued by the Pan-Cypriot Union of Air Traffic Controllers (PASEEK), the union’s president, Giorgos Georgiou, emphasized during the session the need to establish a state-owned air navigation services company, noting that warnings about the problem had been issued since 2012.
He stated that the incident on August 19, in which a Turkish military Airbus A400 aircraft entered the Nicosia FIR without communication and in violation of its flight plan, putting it on a collision course with a Boeing 737 passenger plane, is not an isolated incident. He also noted that ATCEUC, the European federation representing over 16,000 air traffic controllers, and to which their union belongs, had warned about the same problem as early as 2012. “Fourteen years later, no technical solution has been implemented; Ankara continues to refuse direct communication with the Control Center in Nicosia, and the frequency of Turkish military flights and unmanned aerial vehicles in our FIR has increased,” he said.
Referring to the increased strain on air traffic controllers’ working conditions, he noted that “air traffic controllers at the Nicosia Area Control Center manage this risk during every shift, day and night, without flight plans, without two-way communication, and without any accountability from the party causing it.” He clarified that “the reason we have not yet recorded more serious incidents is not because Turkey’s violations and the danger they pose are being institutionally and effectively managed by the relevant organizations in Europe and internationally, but because Cypriot air traffic controllers have been absorbing it for decades now, whereas it should be addressed at the international level through the enforcement of international and European civil aviation conventions.” He also said that understaffing exacerbates the problem, explaining that the Control Center currently operates with about 90 air traffic controllers, compared to the 140 required, noting that each controller is working under additional pressure in a system that is already operating below adequate capacity.
As he said, they have already warned that “starting in the summer of 2027, we will experience flight delays due to severe understaffing in all Control Units, except for the Control Center, the Larnaca and Paphos Control Towers, and the Approach Radar, which is unable to operate on a 24-hour basis due to a lack of staff.” He suggested as a solution the creation of a state-owned air navigation company, which, as he noted, had been decided by the Cabinet in 2013, became law in 2019, and for which the articles of incorporation, the founding document, the company’s five-year business plan, the new labor regulations, and the collective bargaining agreement have all been finalized. “This is not an idea under discussion, but a project ready for implementation, the launch of which is pending a government decision.”
He noted that only a corporate structure, free from the distortions and bureaucratic delays of the public sector, can meet the dynamic demands of air traffic, “to hire and train the 40 to 60 additional air traffic controllers we need by 2030, quickly and under competitive employment terms” and modernize the air traffic control system.
He called on the committees to exercise their parliamentary oversight to expedite the process of launching the state-owned air navigation service provider, adding that he also expects the practical support of the President of the Republic on this matter.
Source: KYPE
