In a written statement Kapısız said that despite all warnings, safety standards are not met at Ercan Airport.
“In everything urgently needed for aviation services, the blame is placed on the operating company’s shoulders“, he said.
Kapısız pointed out that the only authorised authority in aviation in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), the Civil Aviation Department, has been rendered helpless by the state. He said, “The state has not only failed to enforce the obligations of the contract it made with T&T but has also failed to fulfil the obligations it couldn’t enforce“.
Stating that all matters that should be addressed behind the scenes of aviation services at Ercan Airport, each requiring investment and expenditure, have been suspended, Kapısız emphasised that aviation in the TRNC has been sacrificed to the financial policies of a private company.
The Air Traffic Controllers Union issued the following warnings to the public and the aviation sector:
“Due to the reasons stated above, we, as Air Traffic Controllers, have lost our confidence in the systems we use while performing our jobs.
“There is no guarantee that we can provide a continuous, safe, and orderly air traffic service. Our radars may go silent at any moment, and our communication with aircraft in the air may be cut off if our radios fail.
“Even the heaters in our working environment are not functioning. Under the current conditions, there is no situation left for us to tolerate or make sacrifices.
“In the event of even the slightest adversity at Ercan Air Traffic Control Center, controllers will go on strike.
“We want to make it clear that the Ministry of Transport is solely responsible for all dangers, delays, or uncompleted flights that may occur as a result of the government’s incompetence”.
