Flights over some areas of Cyprus have become dangerous due to the two air traffic control centers on the island.
According to a report by the international news agency "The Associated Press", which cites an internal report of 2015 prepared by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the air traffic control centers in Cyprus - in free and occupied areas - give different instructions on airplanes creating "confusion and misunderstandings" between pilots.
The same report states that these risks are generally acceptable, as the probability of a "catastrophic" accident is very small, about one in a billion.
On the other hand, according to the publication, in a large part of the Nicosia FIR (around 175.000 square kilometers) the safety risks are not within acceptable limits.
Citing a report from the agency, the report said: "The assessment concludes that close monitoring of the situation is required as it is on the verge of acceptance. The organization recognizes that this situation is not at all positive. "
The reason is that flight instructions from two different control centers can degrade the defined safety margins, such as the minimum distance that two aircraft can have during the flight.
Only air traffic controllers of the Republic of Cyprus are allowed to issue flight instructions on aircraft passing through the Nicosia FIR. However, the inspectors at the illegal Ercan airport are also giving instructions to aircraft passing through the occupied part of the Nicosia FIR, causing confusion to the pilots, according to the report.
The report cited by the publication lists cases in which the aircraft were closer to each other than the minimum allowable distance. Specifically, we are talking about four cases in 2012, seven in 2013 and six in 2014.
Of great concern, however, is the announcement of two incidents in 2014, in which systems installed on aircraft were activated to automatically avoid a collision in the air. As a result, the aircraft came close enough to collide.
More specifically, a total of 18 incidents are reported in the airspace of Cyprus between 2011 and 2015, according to data from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) cited in the report.
The report also expressed further concern about the safety of flights due to Turkey's refusal to notify the Republic of Cyprus about flights by plane, as it does not recognize it as a state.
Although still considered a distant scenario, the probability of an accident between a civilian aircraft and a military aircraft is statistically higher.
According to the same publication, from 2011 to 2014, the annual air traffic through the Nicosia FIR was estimated at an average of between 150.000 and 180.000 flights.
Source: SigmaLive