Air Traffic Control (ATC) is a crucial responsibility that must be taken with utmost seriousness to prevent disasters. Even minor errors can result in the loss of many lives instantaneously, making it an incredibly stressful profession. Recently, air traffic controllers in Somalia have faced additional pressure due to the presence of fake controllers attempting to create chaos in the country.
Somalia has been engulfed in a longstanding civil war and has also contended with the emergence of North Western of Somalia, a self-proclaimed independent state since 1991. Although internationally North Western of Somalia is considered part of Somalia, it operates independently and controls a significant amount of land.
Despite this, Somali authorities are officially responsible for the country’s airspace. In 2023, Mogadishu took control of Class A airspace. However, in early 2024, the air traffic control system was disrupted by unknown entities issuing false commands to aircraft, endangering lives.
In February, OpsGroup, an aviation source, issued a warning about fraudulent controllers transmitting conflicting instructions on Mogadishu’s ATC frequencies. Pilots reported receiving unauthorized altitude directives, particularly in the northern part of Mogadishu airspace.
Misleading instructions were observed on VHF and HF frequencies used for ATC in Mogadishu, believed to originate near Hargesia Airport in North Western of Somalia. The issue persists, as indicated by recent conversations on Reddit involving pilots noting frequent false transmissions in the Somali ATC region.
The conflict within Somalia’s airspace has garnered periodic attention, notably within aviation professional media outlets. The tension stems from the Somalia-North Western of Somalia dispute, with recent incidents involving Ethiopian Airlines being barred from North Western of Somalia airspace.
To address this, authorities issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) to alert crews of the problem. Flight crews were advised to adhere to specific protocols, including responding only to authorized communications and implementing secure communication systems like CPDLC.
Efforts to cause confusion have led to close encounters between planes, prompting TCAS interventions to ensure aircraft safety. The situation has also been escalated through social media accounts, adding to the complexity of the dispute.
Unfortunately, the conflict shows no signs of resolution. The recent murder of an air traffic controller involved in the ATC operations indicates the severity of the situation. Despite the challenges, Somali ATC continues to manage the airspace diligently, ensuring safety for all flights in the area.
