Direct Flights for North and South
Cyprus
By Chris Elliott
Recently we published a number of articles on the subject of direct flights into Cyprus (North and South) and the report of a flight from 
Trabzon in Turkey going direct to Larnaca when permission was given by Turkey for the flight to go to Rhodes. It would seem the aircraft pilot had other ideas.
Having just returned to North Cyprus from a week’s delightful holiday in Trabzon I can report we had an exhausting and expensive journey from Ercan to our destination of Trabzon which involved 2 flights both ways. Why!, perhaps in this case it’s a question of available shuttle flights being used to reach our destinations but with additional air miles and associated take off and landing costs to reach our destination we have to question why these methods of travel exist.
Outward journey
Ercan to Adana 167 miles – Adana to Trabzon 363.5 miles = Total miles 530 (two flights)
Return journey
Trabzon to Istanbul 560.35 miles – Istanbul to Ercan 480.1 miles = Total Miles 1040.45 (two flights)
Direct distance Ercan to Trabzon – Total Miles 530
Comparison Journeys
Ercan via Istanbul to London – Total Miles 2036 (two flights)
Potential Ercan to London Total Miles 2003
Please note the distances shown are approximate and are shown for comparison.
So why do we have these strange arrangements for flights to and from North Cyprus, well there is so much counter-argument about this issue which was brought about by the division of Cyprus in 1974 and earlier events. Since the international embargoes have been put in place at the request of Cyprus Republic, freedom of travel to North Cyprus has been prevented, of course this breaches human rights for individuals, so do two wrongs make a right?
It is said that the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot administration are due to meet this month (October 2013) to negotiate a final settlement of the Cyprus issue and if successful, then perhaps we will see more sensible travel arrangements being made for the whole of Cyprus.
There follows a very interesting and thought-provoking article which includes some more personal flight experiences and we have shown below one of the comments by Egemen Bağış, the Turkish Minister for European Union and Chief Negotiator, who makes an offer that should not be ignored if a settlement to the Cyprus issue is to be found.
Opportunity Cost a Divided Cyprus
I again asked Bağış what if Apollon wants to come to Turkey with a direct fly just like Trabzonspor did. He told me that there’s no problem if Apollon wants to. “They are more than welcomed,” he said. “As soon as Greek Cyprus lifts its ban for the international airline companies to fly Ercan in Northern Cyprus, we are ready to open all our ports and airports to Greek Cyprus. Direct fly doesn’t mean an official recognition.”
First Ever Direct Flight From Turkey to Cyprus, in My Lifetime | Alparslan Akkuş.
There are direct flight from Trabzon to Ercan 3 times a week on Onur Air, so no need for people to go via the routes you have indicated. Again the point of the direct flight from Trabzon to Rhodes comes up, there was no direct flight from Trabzon to Larnaca at all, Anakara did not give the flight direct route from Trabzon to Larnaca if they had the flight would of been 90 min. but the flight took 2.5 hours because the pilot only got the direct route from Rhodes to Larnaca without touching down known as touch and go, CTA did this on several occasions back in the late 90s and 2000. and could have continued to do but CTA choose to take on passengers bound from UK to Turkey as well and their for had no choice but to stop in Dalaman, Izmir and Antalya to load and unload passengers. If CTA used their brainless management, they could have did a touch and go and a less busy airport and continued to Ercan by chanaging the flight No. As for the Trabzon flight that was not a direct flight as it had to enter Rhodes airspace before it could continue to Larnaca, you seem to think that the flight can just take off and go as it pleases, If you care to look at the IACO FIR route maps Fir 31-32 Covering South Turkey has not direct contact with ANKARA ATC and their for can not pass the flight over to Nicosia ATC,
Thank you Erkin for your expert advice and explanation. Yes most people appreciate that there are no flights between North and South Cyprus and or Turkey but there could be in a progressive and forward thinking world.
Perhaps massive public demand may see many more Touch and Go flights happening which could lead to a quicker break down of flight embargoes. It does not take a major debate and prolonged negotiation to achieve direct flights as was pointed out by Egemen Bağış, the Turkish Minister for European Union and Chief Negotiator, who makes an offer that should not be ignored if a settlement to the Cyprus issue is to be found and deadlock broken.
“Opportunity Cost a Divided Cyprus
I again asked Bağış what if Apollon wants to come to Turkey with a direct fly just like Trabzonspor did. He told me that there’s no problem if Apollon wants to. “They are more than welcomed,” he said. “As soon as Greek Cyprus lifts its ban for the international airline companies to fly Ercan in Northern Cyprus, we are ready to open all our ports and airports to Greek Cyprus. Direct fly doesn’t mean an official recognition.”