Cyprus’ air traffic controllers’ union this week expressed serious concerns over flight safety, citing the presence of unauthorized Turkish military aircraft and UAVs near critical air routes and the airports of Larnaca and Paphos.
Beyond increased air traffic, ATCOs in Nicosia ACC and at Larnaca and Paphos Approach do their best to ensure flight safety affected by unauthorised Turkish Air Force aircraft and UAVs, operating almost constantly along critical routes and near the two aerodromes of Cyprus. pic.twitter.com/Wqass9BObW
— ΠΑΣΕΕΚ (@CYATCU_NEWS) August 19, 2026
In a statement, the Pan-Cypriot Air Traffic Controllers Union said controllers at the Nicosia Area Control Center and at the approaches to the two airports are handling increased air traffic while also dealing with incidents that, the union said, create additional risks.
The union specifically cited an incident involving the Turkish military aircraft TUAF770.
According to the union, the aircraft failed to respond to calls from the Nicosia Area Control Center, deviated from its designated course and began climbing toward flight level FL360, or about 36,000 feet.
At the same time, TOM56T, a Boeing 737-800, was descending toward FL350.
A street near the ‘green line’ separating the government-controlled parts of Nicosia from the Turkish-occupied area.
The union said the controllers’ immediate response allowed them to identify the risk of the two flight paths converging, prompting them to halt the passenger aircraft’s descent.
The Pan-Cypriot Air Traffic Controllers Union accused Turkey, whose military illegally occupies 37% of the island republic, of showing “complete disregard for passenger safety.”
The incident comes amid renewed concern in Cyprus over increased Turkish military aviation activity in and around the Nicosia FIR. Cypriot media reported last week that Turkish F-16 fighter jets had been increasingly visible over Nicosia, with flights reportedly originating from the illegal airport at Tymbou in the Turkish-occupied north of the island.
‘It Happens 24 hours a day’
The union said the incident was not an isolated occurrence but part of a situation that has continued for years.
According to the flight controllers’ union, Turkish aircraft and UAVs operate “almost continuously” along critical air routes and near the two airports of the Republic of Cyprus.
It described the problem as one that exists “24 hours a day, seven days a week, for decades.”
Another issue raised by the union is the lack of two-way communication with the Nicosia Area Control Center.
It said Ankara’s stance complicates the work of air traffic controllers and makes continuous monitoring of air traffic even more critical.
Cypriot controllers stressed that the timely identification and management of such incidents is essential to preventing dangerous situations, particularly when military aircraft fail to respond to calls or instructions from the relevant control center.
