Export cargo from Ercan airport to Turkey nearly halted over facility deficiencies

Nicosia, Cyprus. Exports to Turkey from the occupied north’s Ercan (Tymbou) airport have all but ceased, reports said on Friday, as no specially designated controlled cargo-export section has been established at the airport.

Cargo handling concerns

News website Haber Kibris reported that only blood and dead bodies can currently be safely exported from the airport. It said the issue stems from the failure to create a separate, controlled customs area during construction of the new Ercan airport, which opened in 2023.

Since then, imported and exported cargo has reportedly been handled in an area originally designed as a car park.

The area has eight entrance gates and an x-ray machine which Haber Kibris described as inadequate.

Deficiencies identified

Turkey’s general directorate of state airports authority (DHMI) reportedly identified around 40 deficiencies last summer in the handling of cargo intended for export from the airport.

According to the report, a significant proportion of those deficiencies have not been rectified. Turkish Airlines has therefore stopped accepting export cargo departing from Ercan, it said.

Operator responsibility

Turkish Cypriot customs department official Sinan Oztekin told Haber Kibris that the cargo warehouse did not meet international standards.

“This is not a situation caused by us. The responsibility lies with T&T, the airport’s operator. The commitments made were not fulfilled,” he said.

Oztekin said the authorities wanted the situation to improve as soon as possible and suggested that beginning construction work could demonstrate good intentions to Turkish Airlines and lead it to resume accepting cargo.

He said a request would be made to Turkey and that work on the matter was expected to begin within the next week or two.