Executive Director of the Flight Safety Foundation- Mediterranean ( FSF-MED ), Christos Petrou, has warned about the dangers on air safety due to Turkey`s refusal to implement the relevant international regulations and cooperate with the Nicosia Air Control Center. He also said that Turkey could, in the framework of the discussion at the Cyprus talks for Confidence Building Measures (CBM), to initialize a telephone communication with the Control Centre of Nicosia, at least for emergencies.
Petrou was speaking to CNA on the occasion of the international conference on “Aviation Training, an Effective Safety Tool”, that will take place in the coastal town of Larnaka 28 and 29 of May, and which is organised by FSF-MED and the «Joint Aviation Authorities Training Οrganization (JAATO) with the support of the Cypriot government.
Regarding flight safety, Petrou said that despite the excellent work by the Civil Aviation Authorities of Cyprus, Turkey`s refusal to implement the relevant international regulations and cooperate with the Nicosia Air Control Center continues to create safety problems in the Nicosia FIR, which is used by more than 280,000 flights a year, carrying around 20 million passengers.
He pointed out that many of those passengers are Turkish citizens, since almost all Turkish airlines use Nicosia`s FIR.
He told CNA that despite the fact that these risks are highlighted in all EU Reports on the accession course of Turkey and despite the concerns expressed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), EUROCONTROL and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Turkey refuses to follow the relevant international regulations.
Petrou pointed out that Turkey, could, in the framework of the discussion at the Cyprus talks for CBM, to initialize a telephone communication with the Control Centre of Nicosia, at least for emergencies.
He explained that as is the situation now if an accident or a hijacking of a Turkish aircraft takes place over the Cypriot space or a flight disappears from the radars of the Cypriot or Turkish authorities, there is absolutely no communication between the two countries.
“Such a Turkish action would be a substantial CBM and would be to the benefit of all involved. By that, we would ensure the safety of all flights in the two respective FIRs”, he said, adding that this would fullfil some demands of international organisations and the EU and would contribute to the success of the Cyprus talks.
Referring to the conference, Petrou attached great importance to the training for aviation safety and the potential regional role Cyprus can play Cyprus in this area.
According to a press release by the FSF-MED, 170 delegates from Cyprus and abroad have registered by now to participate at the conference. Israel is so far the biggest delegation with 11 members.
In the framework of the conference participants of international organizations will discuss the issue of establishing a “European Federation of Air Training Organisations”, based in Cyprus.
Meanwhile, a commercial aircraft of Russian interests, which flew from Istanbul to Libya, sent out on Saturday a distress signal and requested to land immediately at the nearest airport, which was the international airport of the Cypriot coastal town of Paphos.
The Paphos international airport management responded immediately to the distress signal.
This was the first time that an aircraft – which departed from a Turkish airport – landed at a Cypriot airport.
Five people were aboard the aircraft, which since then departed from Paphos.
CNA/KST/KP/AAR/GV/2015
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY