Over Somalia, IATA welcomes the restoration of ‘Class A’ air traffic control services

As a result of reclassifying airspace over Somalia and the surrounding region to Class A, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomes this reclassification. After a 30-year disruption, air traffic control services will be restored one minute past midnight on 26 January 2023.

The Mogadishu Flight Information Region (FIR) is Somalian airspace, which is officially known as the airspace connecting the African subcontinent south of Ethiopia with the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, as well as Western Europe with the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands. This region extends into the Indian Ocean and surrounds the Horn of Africa.

It will significantly improve safety and increase efficiency in the region if the Mogadishu FIR is reclassified as ‘Class A’ airspace. In this case, Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Africa, said, “This is due to the collaboration of the Somalia Airspace Special Coordination Team, which includes the Somali CAA, IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization, adjacent FIRs, and airlines.”

Modern radio navigation and other technological infrastructure have enabled the reclassification of the airspace, and the resumption of air traffic control in the Mogadishu FIR. The trial began in May and was successful.

According to Al-Awadhi, “we will have improved situational awareness along the increasingly busy air corridors linking many of the world’s regions” as a result of improved air traffic management and navigation infrastructure.

In Class A airspace, all flights must be cleared by air traffic control, which is also responsible for maintaining lateral and vertical separation between aircraft. Approximately 24,500 feet above mean sea level is the base altitude of Class A airspace in the Mogadishu FIR.

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Editor’s notes:
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