Erdogan set to arrive in north to open updated Tympou airport

By Katy Turner, Cyprus mail, 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in the north on April 18, where he is set to officially open the new passenger terminal at Tymbou (Ercan) airport.

But according to Kipris Postasi website, in recent days officials have said that neither the terminal nor the new runway will be ready.

At the same time, ‘civil aviation’ officials have said they will resign if they are pressured to open a terminal and runway before they are technically and safety ready.

According to the same reportage, news that the terminal could open before it is fully ready also has the tourist industry worried as it could impact arrivals during the holiday to mark the end of Ramadan.

Tourist offices, hotels and airlines have said if the terminal opens on this date they will face large operational issues.

Previously it had been announced that the terminal was due to open at the end of last year with various dates announced.

Recent reports have also caused a commotion saying the owner of the company that manages the airport is not paying agreed taxes.The €300 million airport was initially scheduled to open in 2016 according to the contract.