The growing list of airspaces closure following the Niger Republic’s coup has placed airlines connectivity across the West African sub-region under threat, as they circumvent the closed airspace to get to their destinations.
The development which experts said has cost a detour in airline operations, would further lead to elongation of routes, congestion of airspace, and rising fuel consumption.
It would also lead to rise in airfares.
Aviation World gathered that Niger Republic is the third country in the region to close its airspace after Sudan and Libya.
In the last 12 years, Libya has shut its airspace.
The implications of this is that foreign airlines now fly over 2,600 miles from western Niger to the Red Sea to connect their destination routes.
Vanguard had reported that the airspace was shut down after the Economic Community of West African Countries, ECOWAS, gave the military junta until August 6 to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or risk intervention from member states.
The development has added extra hours to Europe-bound flights flying through alternative routes to connect their destinations, along with challenges of constant flight cancellations, suspension of operations, emergency landing, among others.
For instance, a South Africa Airways London-bound flight last Monday diverted to Lagos in other to refuel after circumventing Niger’s airspace.
British Airways flight BA58 from Cape Town to London Heathrow diverted through Lagos, after flying via Namibia, Angola, Gabon, Cameroon and Nigeria.
Brussels Airlines, a Belgian subsidiary of Lufthansa that operates two flights in a week through a triangle flight that connected Brussels to Congo’s Kinshasa and Angola’s Luanda, as a result of the development has temporarily stopped flying to Angola
The airline management noted that the triangle flight will now be a direct flight between Brussels and Kinshasa to save fuel and shorten the flight time for crew members and passengers.
It’s a force majeure — Experts
In an interview with the Chief Executive Officer, Mainstream Cargo Limited, Seyi Adewale, “There will certainly be an additional cost on the airlines, especially relating to fuel expenses, arranging new flight authorisation with other countries if necessary, and reworking slot schedules.
“My thoughts are that this is ‘Force Majeure’ that will hopefully pass away soon,” he added.
“The affected airlines need not pass this to already overstretched Nigerian passengers that are paying high airfares.
“I strongly believe that these airlines, especially those plying Europe/US routes, already make huge margins, although slightly or prior tamed by restrictive fund repatriations that are easing out.”
Also, President, Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, Kingsley Nwokeoma, “The closure of Niger’s airspace has added to our miseries, even when foreign airlines are still battling with trapped funds.
“Connecting flights to Europe and the US will be more expensive as flight options will be limited.
“We are already grappling with foreign exchange scarcity and trapped funds, which have increased the cost of fares. This will only be more trouble for us and I hope the issue will be resolved as soon as possible.”
Foreign carriers force to longer routes — Udoh, others
Also, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Nnamdi Udoh said in an interview that, “The action of Niger would automatically lead to elongation of flight routes, congestion of airspace, and more fuel consumption as the aircraft are expected to circumvent the close airspace and take longer routes to get to their destinations.
“Most European airlines in and out of Nigeria go around or through Mali, Algeria, and longer routes to fly into Nigeria or fly out of the country, a situation that is costing carriers vast amounts of money in fuel, wear, and tear of equipment, and a longer period of time.
“The situation would be worse if Mali and Burkina Faso, two nations that have backed the Abdourahamane Tchiani-led Military government also take a cue from Niger to close their airspace.
“Airlines will have a hectic time if the other two nations take the same action as Niger because of the strategic importance of how airspace aids smooth flight services among nations.
Another aviation analyst, Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, said airlines have the option of going through Chad to Tripoli before approaching Algeria.
“Since Mali and Burkina Faso are with them, that means you have to go all the way to Dakar before going up again. You can’t go to Sudan because there is war. It takes more time, more fuel burn.
“If you have to go through Dakar towards Guinea Bissau before going up again, you have to enter Senegal, from Senegal to Morocco that could take another one hour. Normally it takes us three hours to cross the desert, now it will take us four hours,“ he stated.
Speaking in the same vein, the President of, the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association, NATCA, Mr. Abayomi Agoro said the implication of airspace closure means that no aircraft would be permitted to fly through the closed airspace for risk of being fired at by the military of that country.
“In the case of closed airspace or countries with military conflict like the one currently going on in Niger, aircraft overflying its airspace or landing in the country would seek permission from the government.
“Most scheduled airlines always advise their crew to always avoid airspace where there are arm struggles to avoid being downed by rockets as in the case of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 which was on July 17, 2014, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur under flight number MH17 at an altitude of 33,000 feet.
“It was one of 160 flights that crossed the airspace of eastern Ukraine that day. MH17 was shot down and crashed near the Ukrainian village of Hrabove. All 298 passengers and crew on board died. An exclusion zone prevailed at 32,000 feet because of the conflict between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed rebels.
“Most aircraft avoiding Niger now fly through Mali and Chad; a longer journey which he said costs more.
“Virtually all European airlines go through Niger. They circumvent the airspace and steer away from Niger’s airspace. It takes more hours to circumvent and costs more. What they do now is that they go through Mali. If Mali closes its airspace, it will be difficult.”
Source: vanguardngr.com