Former President of the Cyprus Turkish Civil Servants Union (KTAMS) and former Civil Aviation Department employee Ahmet Kaptan was a guest on ‘Sabah Postasi,’ broadcast on Kibris Postasi TV presented by Gökhan Altıner, Kibris Postasi reports.
He spoke, inter alia, about the ongoing problems at the new terminal at Ercan Airport.
Kaptan stated that the new runway at Ercan Airport is not operational, and that aeroplanes are forced to land on the old runway.
Kaptan, who had spoken with the Minister of Public Works and Transportation Erhan Arıklı, had suggested that Ercan Airport should be opened on November 15 to minimise any shortcoming stated that Arıklı said to him, “Let it be; we will solve it“.
Pointing out that the operator of Ercan Airport, T&T, was unable to complete the new terminal building on time, Kaptan said that the project was to have been delivered in 2014.
Addressing the allegation of sabotage suggested by minister Arıklı after recent power outages at Ercan, Kaptan asked, “What right do you have to throw mud at the employees there?” He added that Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and Minister Arıklı should apologise for offending the employees.
Kaptan also underlined the need to update the smart software at Ercan, “Otherwise, the images and conversations on the radar screen will disappear. More dangerous problems may occur“, he said.
On Wednesday, 29 November it was reported that following a power cut, flights to and from the airport were delayed and air traffic controllers were having to monitor air traffic “via the internet on their mobile phones“.
New ventures often have teething problems but there were questions about the wisdom of opening the new terminal while using the builder’s temporary electricity supply and relying on generators in the event of a power cut.
