CYPRUS TO SUPPORT U.S ICAO CANDIDACY; SEEKS U.S. HELP WITH

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000697

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

BRUSSELS FOR FAA

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAIR AORC CY
SUBJECT: CYPRUS TO SUPPORT U.S ICAO CANDIDACY; SEEKS U.S. HELP WITH
AIR TRAFFIC ISSUE

Ref: STATE 115443

(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.


1. (U) Dr. Leonidas Leonidou, Director of the Cyprus Department of
Civil Aviation and the Cyprus representative to ICAO, told us that
Cyprus would "fully support" the re-election of U.S. in ICAO. On
specific issues and policies that arise within ICAO, however,
Leonidou deferred to the EU, saying Cyprus would support decisions
made within the EU grouping.


2. (SBU) In response to our question, Leonidou advised that his
Department would become an independent regulator (separated from its
current standing as a department within the Ministry of
Communications and Works) within the next six months. Leonidou
noted the potential for conflict of interest when the same Ministry
is both a regulator of flight safety and majority shareholder of the
national airline.


3. (SBU) Problems between the Republic of Cyprus and the "Turkish
Republic of North Cyprus" ("TRNC") are typically part of any
interaction here. In this case, Leonidou explained that RoC air
traffic control, under still-prevailing international rules,
controls all airspace over the island. However, the "TRNC" controls
aircraft that fly into Ercan, its lone commercial airport (served
only by aircraft from "TRNC" and Turkey) which is considered illegal
by the GoC. Leonidou explained that, given the "illegal" nature of
Ercan, the GoC air traffic controllers will not speak with the
"TRNC" controllers. When GoC controllers try and go through Turkish
controllers regarding air traffic over the island, the Turkish
authorities refer the GoC back to the "TRNC" controllers to
demonstrate the "TRNC's" independent status.


4. (SBU) Currently, the GoC controllers monitor transmissions
between "TRNC" controllers and aircraft approaching Ercan, however
Leonidou is concerned that in case quick action is needed or if
there is a misunderstanding of information being "overheard" there
is risk of a mid-air collision. Leonidou would like the USG to use
its good offices within international civil aviation to help find a
solution to work around this political impasse.


5. (SBU) Comment: Leonidou appeared genuinely concerned over
long-standing issues of lack of unified control and poor
communication regarding flights into Cyprus. As always, however, we
risk getting caught up in the difficult political issues surrounding
all things GoC-"TRNC" related if we were to try and directly deal
with this problem. A European approach (with USG support) under the
catch-all of European integration would seem a better way forward,
especially given that numerous European-flagged aircraft (and almost
no U.S. aircraft) fly into Cyprus. Furthermore, Ercan is not the
only airport over which the GoC picks a bone. The government
disputes air traffic control with the two UK Sovereign Bases on the
island as well. At times, the GoC has jeopardized air safety in
trying to assert its position with the Sovereign Base Areas.

SCHLICHER