Air traffic safety concerns raised over Turkish military activity in Nicosia FIR

The Pancyprian Air Traffic Controllers’ Trade Union recently raised serious concerns regarding flight safety within the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR). The union reported that unauthorized Turkish military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are operating almost continuously along critical flight routes and near the Larnaca and Paphos airports. A specific incident highlighted this tension: a Turkish military Airbus A400M with the call sign TUAF770 failed to respond to radio contact, deviated from its flight plan, and began climbing to flight level FL360 while a commercial Boeing 737-800, identified as TOM56T, was descending to FL350, triggering an automatic collision warning.

While the union emphasized the potential danger of these encounters, Cyprus’s Department of Civil Aviation downplayed the alarm, describing the situation as a long-standing, manageable operational reality. Authorities stated that while Turkish military presence is a frequent occurrence that requires constant vigilance from controllers to maintain safety, the overall level of flight security remains high. Officials confirmed that effective monitoring allowed for the timely identification of the potential conflict and the implementation of necessary safety measures to resolve the situation.