THE Communications Ministry was yesterday looking at various alternative venues to house its new state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control Centre (ACC) after a Nicosia site had to be abandoned due to health concerns.
The construction of the building has been a bone of contention between the state and the air traffic controllers, who claimed the site earmarked in Latsia would pose a threat to their health.
The government was forced to rethink its decision after the controllers’ went on strike in October 2002.
The controllers argued the site was too close to high-powered electricity pylons, which posed a long-term cancer threat.
Last year, then Communications Minister Kikis Kazamias warned that the issue, which has been on the table for eight years, had to be resolved soon because the new centre was need to house the state-of-the-art air traffic management equipment known as LEFCO.
The new facilities were deemed necessary to contribute to the smooth and efficient operation of the island’s 175,000-square-kilometre flight information region (FIR).
But the government has backed down from its initial plans and is now looking to various alternative venues to house the ACC, whose equipment is expected sometime in the next year.
One alternative is buying or renting the IMC building at the entrance of Nicosia, which currently houses the Cyprus Stock Exchange.
But according to reports, the owner is asking for too much, though negotiations continue.
Civil Aviation Authority Director Stelios Vasilliou confirmed the reports, adding, however, that the government also had two other choices: to find another site and build the ACC from scratch or rent a different building elsewhere in Nicosia.
More developments on the issue are expected at the end of this week.
In a related development, a civil aviation source has dismissed as premature reports claiming Turkey would allow Cypriot flights in its airspace.
The reports followed the approval by the International Civil Aviation Organisation of the opening of four new air corridors in the Nicosia FIR.
The demand had been pending since 2002 due to Turkey’s objections.
It concerns two westward bound corridors and two towards Israel.
None enter Turkish airspace.
The Nicosia FIR, which extends to southern Turkey and to the Middle Eastern coastline, is recognised as the sole responsibility of the Nicosia ACC.
But Ankara insists the control centre in occupied Tymbou deal with all aircraft flying above northern Cyprus.
Turkish interference with Nicosia radios causes distractions, which officials at the ACC say could one day cause an accident.
Using the same arguments, Turkey bans the flight of Cypriot aircraft inside its airspace.
Opening its skies for Cypriot flights would cut costs and flying times to northern destinations.
But a civil aviation source pointed out that at least for the near future, Turkey was not likely to allow flights in its airspace.
