Geçitkale Air Base

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Geçitkale Air Base, also known as Lefkoniko Airport (IATA: GEC, ICAO: LCGK), is a military airfield of the Turkish Air Force located in Gazimağusa district near Lefkoniko (Turkish: Geçitkale) in Northern Cyprus. The construction of the airport was completed around 1990.

During the renovation of Ercan International Airport between September 2002 and May 2004, it served as the main civilian airport of Northern Cyprus. In 2008, the UK company CAS was rented to operate the airport for 15 years at a cost of €1 million 579 thousand 900 Euros per year.

In the summer of 1998, in the midst of increasing tensions between Greece and Turkey, six F-16s were established in Geçitkale as part of Turkish military presence on the island. The last visit of combat aircraft at the airport dates back to November 2000. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have been deployed from the airbase for protection of Turkish vessels operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The airport features a single runway, the 9/27 track, measuring 2.850 m long and 45 m wide, with a stopway at both ends that is 285 m long. The facility is equipped with VOR/DME and NDB stations. In December 2019, a Bayraktar TB2 UAV landed on the airbase from Turkey, marking an expansion of Turkish military capabilities in Northern Cyprus.

Geçitkale Air Base has been used for various purposes over the years, including as a primary civilian airport during the renovation of Ercan International Airport. The base was also purchased by Turkish Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir and intended to be transformed into a new airport for VIP planes and charters. However, this plan appears to have fallen through.

The airbase has been assigned to the Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Command for use in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Three control units were initially installed on the base before the arrival of UAVs from Turkey. The deployment of UAVs at Geçitkale Air Base is part of a broader effort by Turkey to enhance its military presence and capabilities in Northern Cyprus.

History

The construction of the airport was completed around 1990. During the renovation of Ercan International Airport between