The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), the General Directors of which are in Cyprus for their 56th special meeting, has determined progress in the functioning of the Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation.
ECAC Vice President in charge of safety Raymond Cron said Cyprus, as a member of the EU, is fully integrated in all EU safety programmes.
”I am convinced that the civil aviation authorities of Cyprus are fully committed to high standards and also there is a lot of progress which has been done in the safety field in Cyprus but, like in every state of Europe, the issue of safety is a progress which never ends. It is an ongoing progress,” he said.
At a press conference on Friday on the occasion of the ECAC 56th special meeting, attended by representatives from 42 European countries, it was mentioned that the delegates will be taking decisions on flight safety, aviation and environment protection, and a joint position on the forthcoming conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which will be held in Montreal from September 18 to 28.
Director of the Cyprus Civil Aviation Department Leonidas Leonidou said that over the past one-and-a-half years, shortly after the crash in Greece of a Boeing belonging to Cypriot company ”Helios”, ”we have worked in a systematic way and the safety regulator unit that is looking after the flight safety is actually manned with experienced personnel and is doing job in accordance with European standards.”
Director of Air Transport at the European Commission Daniel Calleja said Cyprus, although a new EU member state, ”is already contributing actively in the development of a joint position of the European states in air transport issues.”
Calleja also expressed the Commission’s support to the work of ECAA, noting that the EU aim is to achieve a joint position of the 42 ECAC members in issues of civil aviation, so that their positions can be established worldwide.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Communications and Works Maria Malachtou Pamballi said that ”ECAC has a major role to play in the provision of safe flights for the passengers and in the expansion of air transport both in terms of quantity and quality,” adding that ”this is a collective effort in the context of which the constructive contribution of each and every member state is essential.”
She expressed hope that the meeting will be successful and will result in ”resolutions that will enhance safety and security of aviation and add value to our collective efforts for a better environment for us and the generations to come.”
”The Republic of Cyprus, a member of ECAC since 1969, pledges its constant commitment to the mission and vision of ECAC. Cyprus is fully supportive of the adopted Triennial Programme for 2007-2009 and is committed to its strategic aims,” she pointed out.
Referring to Cyprus’ airports, the Minister said their ”drastic upgrading” was a priority and that the new facilities will provide Cyprus with the necessary modern infrastructure to serve 2.7 million passengers at Paphos and 7.0 million passengers at Larnaca per year.
”These facilities, together with the establishment of the new Civil Aviation Organisation, will certainly upgrade Cyprus as an attractive destination for the aviation industry,” she added.
In remarks on the sidelines of the meeting and asked about the problems arising from the operation of the illegal airport in Turkish occupied Tymbou, Leonidou said this was happening to a certain extent because the puppet regime was trying to exercise control.
”It is not a recognised entity and has no role to play since it is the Republic of Cyprus’ role to exercise control over the FIR of Cyprus. The International Air Carriers Association (IACA) has been informed and pilots are properly notified for the possible interference they might be getting. We are working to find a permanent solution within the international organisations with the help of Eurocontrol, IACA, ICAO, and the involvement of the EU. We are aware of the problem, we are working on it,” he said.
Leonidou noted that ”it is a safety issue, related to air traffic control and air navigation, so it creates problems,” adding that ” we are seeking a final solution so that we can get Turkey to really come into a clear agreement and understanding.”
The delegates to the meeting elected Louis Fonseca de Almeida from Portugal as the new ECAC President.
