First Helicopter Taxi flight from Turkey to TRNC takes off today

The first air taxi helicopter flight by Fly Me Airlines from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) took place today.

Fly Me Airlines carried out its first helicopter taxi flight from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) today.

The inaugural flight, operating between Antalya–Gazipaşa and Ercan Airport, transported TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu, Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı, and company executives. The helicopter landed at Ercan Airport around 4:00 PM and was greeted with a water salute.

Following their landing at Ercan Airport, Fikri Ataoğlu, Erhan Arıklı, and company executives Gökay Daşdelen and Polat Alper made statements to the press.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu stated during his speech at the landing site that they had accomplished a “first,” marking the beginning of VIP helicopter flights.

He emphasized that another bridge had been built to further strengthen ties between Turkey and the TRNC and highlighted that VIP services could now be accessed from multiple locations.

Ataoğlu mentioned that landing zones would be established in Girne and in the Bafra tourism region, and that the operations wouldn’t be limited to just Ercan Airport. The aim, he explained, is to enable guests traveling to Girne or Bafra to clear customs and police procedures directly at those locations, allowing for faster transfer to their hotels. He added that once the necessary work and legal permissions are completed, routes between Ercan and Bafra or Girne will also be available.

Ataoğlu concluded his speech by thanking the company’s executives.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı stated that the helicopter taxi services began today with five helicopters to diversify and ease transportation between Turkey and the TRNC.

He thanked the company executives for initiating flights between Ercan, Alanya, and Antalya—on top of their existing routes to four destinations in Turkey—and added that flights to other locations like Adana or Mersin would also be easily achievable in the future.

Arıklı emphasized that flights to the TRNC would not be limited to Ercan Airport and would also include destinations like Bafra and Girne.

Fly Me Airlines Executive Gökay Daşdelen said that they were proud to include TRNC flights among their civil commercial operations. He noted that they already provide helicopter taxi and hourly sightseeing flights to destinations such as Gazipaşa, Alanya, Belek, Kemer, and Bodrum, and now the TRNC has been added to that list.