Opening New Ercan Terminal Was a Rush Job

Ercan Airport

Saturday, 22 July 2023 

Incomplete infrastructure at the new Ercan Airport terminal has caused some delays to passengers and a great deal of concern for the President of Air Traffic Controllers Union Cem Kapısız, Yeniduzen reports.

While he said that currently, because of good weather, there is no problem with air traffic, but there are serious problems in the new terminal where passengers are processed.

Kapısız said that there were serious issues arising from the fact that the concourse is not fully connected to the electricity supply, and the internet is not working. This has caused disruption to check-in and immigration. Additionally,  communication between the new terminal building and the control tower is via GSM (mobile phone). What happens if the service drops out, he asked.

He emphasised that some progress has been made since the last opening in terms of aviation safety, but the efficiency of the building in terms of operational aspects is very low. 

Stating that the new terminal should not have been opened without electricity and internet, Kapısız said the following: “If you are opening a new building, it is at the stage of improving expectations. You do not move things backwards. For our Minister, the urgency was to coincide with the national day [20 July] and make a profit. This place was opened for a purpose other than aviation. There are also deficiencies in weather monitoring. At the moment, there is no problem because the weather is sunny and clear. However, we will see what will happen when the visibility is poor”.

Also weighing in on the topic of readiness at the airport, Kibris Postasi reports that the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority Employees Union (El-Sen) argued that there is a danger to life and property in the new terminal building of Ercan Airport.

In a statement made by El-Sen, it was said that the new terminal building at Ercan, which was put into service on July 20 (Thursday) before the infrastructure was completed, poses a serious danger to both employees and passengers. Explaining that the electrical network at the airport has not been completed yet, El-Sen explained that the electricity to the building is provided with a ‘temporary supply’.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Department Director Mustafa Sofi stated there were around 80 flights in total to and from the new airport and pointed that there were no problems other than minor delays.

We are trying to eliminate the deficiencies of the airport”, Sofi said.

Pointing out that there are sections that have not yet been completed structurally, Mustafa Sofi said, “One has no electricity, one has no running water. There are problems such as the toilet of a section does not work. These are also resolved by immediate intervention“, he said.

Yeniduzen, Kibris Postasi

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