ATC - Særdeles alvorlig hendelse i Mogadishu FIR med falske flygeledere - AW&ST

 

Ethiopian And Qatar TCAS Advisory Shines Light On Somalian ATC Issues

 

Victoria Moores February 27, 2024

 

Qatar Airways Boeing 787

Credit: Rob Finlayson

Just days after pilots were warned of conflicting air traffic control (ATC) instructions while overflying parts of Somalia, a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) advisory was triggered between a Qatar Airways Boeing 787 and Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 on Feb. 24.

The Mogadishu flight information region (FIR) is significant because it acts as a gateway for flights operating from the Middle East and Asia to southern Africa. Since January 2023, this FIR has been reclassified as Class A controlled airspace, a significant upgrade from its former Class G uncontrolled status.

However, on Feb. 17-18, New Zealand-based OPSGROUP, which monitors potential risks to airline operations, said it had received “at least 10 reports of aircraft within the Mogadishu FIR being contacted by a ‘fake controller’ on the same frequency, issuing conflicting instructions.” These reports mainly related to climb and descent clearances in the northern part of Mogadishu airspace.

The cause of the problem is a political dispute between Somalia and Somaliland. Somaliland is a region of Somalia that declared independence in 1991 but is not internationally recognized as a separate country. Tensions heightened on Feb. 13 when the Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority (SLCAAA) said Somalia had “forcibly taken over” Somaliland’s air traffic management.

SLCAAA said it would “take every step to stop the increasing violations and protections of its airspace.” This means air traffic controllers from Somalia and Somaliland are both claiming to be “Mogadishu control,” according to OPSGROUP. The Somali CAA (SCAA) is the recognized air navigation authority for the area, including Somaliland.

Following this recent risk alert, a TCAS alert was triggered on Feb. 24 by a lack of separation between an Ethiopian Airlines A350 and a Qatar Airways 787. According to Flightradar24 data, the two aircraft involved were registered ET-ATY and A7-BCN.

Ethiopian Airlines said flight ETH602 from Addis Ababa to Dubai was cruising at 39,000 ft. (FL390) in Somalian airspace. At 0932UTC, the Ethiopian crew received a traffic advisory (TA) related to Qatar Airways flight QTR6U from Doha to Entebbe, Uganda. The Qatar Airways aircraft—initially flying at FL380—was approaching FL390 on the same airway after being cleared to climb to FL400 through datalink. The Ethiopian flight was 15 nm (27 km) from position ESTIK on airway UB404 at the time of the advisory.

Somaliland’s SLCAAA said the Qatar Airways flight was “wrongly told by the controllers in Mogadishu (Somalia) to climb to 40,000 feet (FL400).”

OPSGROUP said this incident “seems consistent with recent reports of controllers issuing unauthorized clearances to traffic in the Mogadishu FIR.” The body advised operators to “stick to controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) and keep a good watch on 126.9 (IFBP). Be suspicious of unexpected level changes and try a SATCOM call to Mogadishu if in doubt. “

The TCAS traffic advisory (TA) between Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines on Feb. 24 was only a caution. Ethiopian Airlines said no avoiding maneuver was made—as substantiated by Flightradar24 Extended Mode S data, which includes TCAS status—and the flights continued safely to their destinations. However, the incident has been reported to the Somalian and Ethiopian CAAs for further investigation and corrective actions.

“They were separated about 13 nm (23 km) when the incident happened,” Ethiopian Airlines said. “Furthermore, both traffics were implementing a strategical lateral offset procedure (SLOP), which separated them horizontally in addition to the vertical separation.”

The SCAA has issued a NOTAM with protocols for aircrew to follow if they received conflicting ATC instructions in the area, and IATA is working with ICAO’s contingency coordination team—which brings together states and aviation organizations—to try to solve the problem.

SLCAAA alleges that the Mogadishu government has reneged on an agreement to split air traffic management between two centers in Hargeisa (Somaliland) and Mogadishu (Somalia), splitting the revenues 40:60.

On Feb. 25, the SCAA said it remains “in full control of the safety” of aircraft in Somalian airspace. In a Feb. 13 statement, SCAA said no changes had been made to the country’s airspace management.

OPSGROUP has previously noted that Mogadishu’s Class A status means aircraft can use oceanic airways for overflight, helping avoid conflict zones and higher-risk lower flight levels.