IT’S the latest airspace to be declared a no go zone because of the threat of terrorist and militant attacks.
But many airlines can still fly over it if they choose and it’s up to you to figure out which ones.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned all US airlines from flying over Somalia deeming it too dangerous, however many countries have not done the same.
Here in Australia the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has warned our own airlines of the alert. Qantas is the only official Australia international airline and only flies to South Africa.
But spokesman Peter Gibson told news.com.au CASA doesn’t have the authority to prevent international airlines from using the route in and out of Australia because it was out of their jurisdiction.
Each country was responsible for informing its own airlines of dangerous airspace, he added.
While CASA doesn’t operate the same way the FAA does with airspace bans, Mr Gibson said it was unlikely Qantas would fly over Somali airspace.
Following the downing of MH17 over Ukrainian airspace on July 17 last year, it emerged the FAA had banned all US airlines from flying over the Crimea region citing safety concerns.
The restricted airzone was about 320kms northeast from the crash site, which was reportedly not included in the FAA warning.
It also emerged other countries issued similar warnings including Malaysia.
The International Transport Association later revealed the airspace MH17 had flown through was not subject to restrictions.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has listed Somalia as country to avoid.
It says Aussies should not travel to the area because of the armed conflict and a high threat of kidnapping.
It says terrorist attacks in Mogadishu are frequent, and can target foreigners.
“Further attacks are likely,” it says.
Militant groups have been known to use anti-aircraft weapons which are capable targeting aircraft at higher altitudes on approach and departure.
In background information released by the FAA it says the terrorist group al-Shabaab shot down an IL-76 aircraft using MANPADS in March 2007 and conducted ground assaults against Mogadishu International Airport, the most recent of which occurred in December 2014.
“Attacks against aircraft in-flight or Somali airports can occur with little or no warning,” it says.
Three African Union peacekeepers and a civilian contractor were killed in the Mogadishu airport attack.
The FAA says it is this, as well as the civil unrest, that form the reasons for the ban, which was issued on May 12.
Source: news.com.au
