Concerns about unusual movements of a US warplane have surfaced, as a Boeing C-17 military transport aircraft was recorded operating in and around Cypriot airspace. On Tuesday, the aircraft took off from Paphos airport and landed at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv just over 45 minutes later.
- As the situation develops, the implications of the US warplane's movements continue to raise questions about sovereignty, complicity, and the role of Cyprus in international military operations.
A coalition of non-governmental organisations in Cyprus, including activist group Afoa and several pro-Palestine groups, has raised alarms regarding the claims that the island is being used as a stopover for transporting “unknown cargo and personnel” from the US’s Al Udeid airbase in Qatar to Israel.
The aircraft has been frequently seen departing from and arriving at Al Udeid, often with its transponder turned off, which prevents the public from tracking its exact movements. On one such occasion, there was uncertainty about whether the C-17 had landed in Paphos or diverted to the nearby Mari naval base. However, experts noted that a landing at Mari was improbable due to the absence of a runway suitable for the aircraft.
According to the activist groups, the C-17 reappeared on radar an hour later, seemingly on its way to Israel. After departing from there, the flight data indicated that the plane conducted a “phantom landing” in Cyprus, suggesting the aircraft passed low over the airport to create the illusion of a landing while actually following a direct route between the US base and Israel.
Detailed analysis of the flight data revealed that the altitude of the C-17 did not drop to zero, further indicating that it likely did not land in Paphos, but merely flew over the area to mislead flight-tracking systems.
The groups involved have argued that the nature of these flights is “almost certainly not related to humanitarian aid”, questioning why a military cargo aircraft would undertake such secretive movements if its mission were genuinely humanitarian. They contend that the covert nature of the C-17’s operations points to the transportation of military aid through Cypriot facilities.
The coalition has accused the Cypriot government of complicity in these actions, asserting that by allowing such flights and facilitating operations from the island, the government has effectively surrendered its sovereignty. They describe the situation as turning Cyprus into a “silent accomplice in genocide”, suggesting that the government is enabling military operations that support US and Israeli actions.
As the situation develops, the implications of the US warplane’s movements continue to raise questions about sovereignty, complicity, and the role of Cyprus in international military operations.
