Nicosia FIR handled more than 1,200 flights a day in 2022, transport ministry says

Cyprus’ civil aviation authorities will have handled more than 1,200 flights per day within the Nicosia flight information region (FIR) with zero delays, the transport ministry said on Saturday.

Although not nearly this many flights land and take off daily in Cyprus the Nicosia FIR handles flights overflying the island and covers a wide area around the island.

The ministry said that the Nicosia flight control centre managed more than 1,200 flights per day, without any delay or inconvenience to the airlines. The daily capacity in 2019 while it was about 1,000 aircraft per day. That year, Cyprus served more than 1,500 flights, but with several delays, the ministry said.

“However, with the proper planning of the ministry of transport, and the department of civil aviation, with the cooperation of Eurocontrol and the civil aviation authorities of Israel and Greece, adjustments and redesign were made, with the result that in 2022 more than 1,200 flights with zero delays will be served daily while delays in the rest of Europe are at high levels, despite the decrease in traffic due to the pandemic and the war crisis in eastern Europe,” the ministry said.

“Cyprus should feel proud of its performance in 2022, especially during the summer season, in terms of air traffic and aircraft delays in its airspace,” it added.

The ministry said that flights to Europe last week averaged about 30,300 per day, a decrease of 13 per cent, compared to the same week of 2019. On an annual basis, in 2022, the traffic reached the levels of 82 per cent of 2019.

Also, arrivals and departures at the two airports of the Republic of Cyprus last week showed a decrease of only 12 per cent, compared to the same week of 2019, the ministry said.

Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos, said the ministry would continue its efforts to upgrade air traffic services by creating outreach radar services at the island’s two airports, and upgrading and moving the Nicosia flight control centre to more modern facilities at Kokkinotrimithia.