UK seeks closure of Cyprus airspace around RAF Akrotiri

Britain wants Cyprus to close its airspace around RAF Akrotiri, a Cypriot air traffic control officer has confirmed.

Head of Nicosia Air Control Center Haris Antoniades told the state TV that Cypriot authorities have not yet examined the British request.

"The Sovereign Base authorities at Akrotiri requested the reservation of airspace for reasons of preparedness," Antoniades said.

He did not reveal when and for how long the reservation of airspace was requested.

Antoniades also said that there has been no cancellation of flights through Cyprus's Flight Information Region, but some airlines have been re-arranging the flight path of their planes following advice by Eurocontrol, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation.

British Prime Minister Theresa May seems ready to give support to the United States and France in possible military action against Syria because of an alleged poison gas attack on civilians near Damascus.

Akrotiri air base, outside Limassol, is currently used by British fighter-bombers for strikes against the Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq and for collecting intelligence.

Six Tornado and eight Typhoon fighter-bombers are based at Akrotiri, which Britain retained as a sovereign area of 123 square kilometres when Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960.

The Cyprus government has stressed it is not involved in any planned attack on Syria and no country has asked to use facilities on the island. 

LATEST: 2 fighter jets have just landed in the past few minutes at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the nearest air base to Syria. It’s as Theresa May is to hold a ‘war cabinet’ later this morning to discuss strike action in #Syria after the alleged chemical weapons attack by Pres. Assad. pic.twitter.com/CcejevPjfW

— Nathan Lee (@NathanLeeTV) 12 April 2018