Pilot Trainees in Northern Cyprus Allowed to Conduct Training Flights Over the Karpas Peninsula for the First Time

For the first time in Northern Cyprus, pilot trainees will be able to conduct training flights over the Karpas Peninsula, thanks to a landmark agreement between the Department of Civil Aviation and the University of Kyrenia.

The protocol was signed by Mustafa Sofi, Director of the Department of Civil Aviation; Toykan Özdoğanlar, Head of Air Traffic Management at the Department of Civil Aviation; and Gökmen Dağlı, Vice-Rector of the University of Kyrenia and Director of the School of Aviation.

This historic agreement makes it possible for Northern Cypriot citizens, who previously had to travel to Turkey or South Cyprus for pilot training, to now complete their training flights locally. Furthermore, the initiative opens the door for international trainees from countries where training flights are unavailable to come to Northern Cyprus for their education.

The training flights will be conducted using aircraft owned by the University of Kyrenia, departing from Ercan Airport. All flights will follow predetermined routes and comply with both national and international aviation standards.

• "As the great leader Atatürk once said, ‘The future of Turkish Cypriots lies in the skies.’ With this in mind, we are fully committed to supporting the development of civil aviation in our country and to empowering our institutions as they train skilled professionals, especially pilots," said Erhan Arıklı, Minister of Public Works and Transportation, during the signing ceremony.