New airport terminal test flights to start ‘in February’
TEST flights for the new Ercan airport terminal and runway are due to start next month, Public Works and Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı stated on Tuesday.
The new target is the latest in a series of missed deadlines for the new Ercan, built by Emrullah Turanlı, the primary partner of airport operator T&T.
Speaking during a parliamentary debate on this year’s Public Works and Transport Ministry budget, Arıklı said he had given “harsh ultimatums” regarding putting the new airport into service, noting that the construction phase was “actually completed on November 15, 2022”.
“[The new] Ercan airport is structurally finished,” he said. “All that’s left is to install technical devices made in the United States and the Netherlands.”
Noting that Turkey’s Transport Ministry and its State Airports Authority are “tracking the orders” for “transformers” and parts belonging to an Instrument Landing System (ILS), the minister said that most of the equipment has now been delivered.
“God willing, test flights will start midFebruary,”
he added.
Also speaking in the debate was main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Fikri Toros, who criticised the constant delays to the opening of the new terminal.
“It is everyone’s wish to open the [new] Ercan airport terminal as soon as possible,” he said. “However it will not contribute to the country’s tourism as this airport will only serve two airlines.
“The government should make urgent decisions regarding Ercan airport,
[which] should be opened for international access.”
He said the government should focus on “realistic solutions” instead of trying to establish a “national airline company”, the chances of which he said were “slim”.
Mr Toros also called for flights to and from more destinations in Turkey.
“Despite its population of 85 million, there are only flights from seven cities in Turkey to Ercan airport,” he pointed out.