The blanket ban on the use of personal drones on the British bases has been lifted, the bases’ authorities said on Tuesday, while the ban on drones near the north’s Ercan (Tymbou) airport remains in place.

“Please be advised that in line with the Republic of Cyprus, the temporary ban on drones has now been lifted. The recommendation against paragliding is also lifted,” the authorities said.

Personal drones remain banned in sensitive areas both in the British bases and in areas under the republic’s administration.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot air traffic controllers’ trade union leader Kursad Hudaverdioglu told the Cyprus Mail that the north’s ban on personal drones in the region surrounding (Ercan) Tymbou airport will remain in place until June 10, with the ban stretching to a radius of five miles.

Those restrictions were implemented after Hisar-A surface-to-air missiles were deployed by the Turkish military to the airport in March.

The missile system joins six Turkish F-16 fighter jets, with Bayraktar Akinci and Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat drones also stationed at the Gecitkale (Lefkoniko) aerodrome, which was formally handed over to Turkey’s armed forces in January 2024, having been used for military purposes since 2019.

The five-mile radius includes areas of the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia and the village of Yeri, though when asked if contact has been made with the Republic of Cyprus’ authorities regarding the continued drone ban, Hudaverdioglu said that “we have no contact with the Greek Cypriot side” because “they are not coordinating with us”.

The Cyprus Mail attempted to contact the civil aviation department and is awaiting a response.