It is indeed an honour and a privilege to
address today in Nicosia, the joint meeting of the Advisory Committee and the
Executive Board of the Flight Safety Foundation – Mediterranean.
I would like
to express my sincere thanks to the Foundation for inviting me to address it,
as well as for its contribution to the promotion of flight safety in the
region. All the participants in today's meeting are distinguished personalities
with commendable experience in the field of civil aviation and it is expected
that the deliberations will provide a forum for discussion and improvement of flight
safety. The topics chosen are diverse
and embrace the whole spectrum of aviation and relevant current issues. Today's
speakers represent major institutions of Europe and the region and this is a
manifestation of the importance safety plays in aviation. The presenters of the
various subjects are highly and well respected professionals and they will add
food for thought in the subsequent discussions.
Today is a landmark day for the Department of
Civil Aviation of Cyprus. Earlier this
morning, the Director General of Eurocontrol and myself concluded a charter for
Eurocontrol to provide assistance for the reorganization of the Department, namely
for the creation of an independent entity for the provision of Air Navigation Services.
The agreement will provide the Government of Cyprus with a framework which
takes into account best practices in Europe for the revamping of the Air Traffic
Control Services. The process will
involve the participation of staff representatives in order to ensure the success
of this project. The revamping of the services is expected to solve chronic
problems especially those concerning performance. In terms of flight delays, Cyprus
is not performing well and this has knock-on effects on the European system. The challenge which lies ahead for all of us
is to have a Pan-European air traffic control system which will be able to
accommodate future demand without delays, in a safe manner within a sustainable
environment.
Overflying traffic in Cyprus is resilient
despite the economic crisis and the current recession. Actually, there was an increase of 2,8% in
2013, compared to the previous year.
Traffic landing at the two international airports registered a decrease
of 5% which nevertheless is lower than predictions anticipated in March 2013, immediately
after the Eurogroup’s decision.
It is expected that 2014 will see an
improvement in passenger volume at the two airports. The recent measures taken
by the Government in promoting the further liberalization of routes with third
countries will be a catalyst to this effort. Furthermore, Cyprus should not only
be seen as a holiday destination but as a place of doing international business
and a hub in the region. The Ministry, along with other stakeholders will work
in promoting these two issues. Aviation will be a major contributor in the redevelopment
of the Cypriot economy.
The Ministry of Communications and Works has
the responsibility for the oversight of the Department of Civil Aviation. The
Department is staffed with highly educated and experienced personnel in all
aspects of the aviation spectrum. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
performs frequent inspections of the Department in order to ascertain its
conformance to the legislation especially concerning the safety of flights. The results of these inspections are
encouraging and Cyprus applies all the recommendations in order to fulfill all
its legal obligations. The Ministry will continue to provide the necessary
means to sustain this process.
However, one persisting problem which
undermines the safety of flights within the Nicosia FIR is the continued
interference of the illegal station in the occupied area of Cyprus and the
persistent attitude of Turkey not to recognize the services offered by the
Department of Civil Aviation.
The confusion created to air carriers adds an
extra burden on the performance and safety of the air traffic control system.
One further point of this refusal is the victimization of Cypriot AOC holders
who are obliged to bypass Turkish airspace on northern routes thus adding extra
flight time. These carriers are at a
disadvantage with competitors on these routes due to the higher cost of
operation and longer flying time.
I will not delve on the matter further and I
wish to extend a warm welcome to everybody to the beautiful island of Cyprus. Once
more I congratulate the Flight Safety Foundation-Mediterranean for today's
event and I encourage the visionary members of the board to continue the hard
work for the benefit of safety in aviation.
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