African Airlines capable of ensuring safety over restricted Sudan airspace

African aviation expert, Sean Mendis, says airlines servicing the East Africa region are capable of safely navigating the troubles on-going in Sudan, albeit at a relatively higher cost.

The former Chief Operation Officer of Africa World Airlines stated that Sudan’s airspace restriction is one of many in the region, emphasizing that airlines operating in the region have developed measures that ensure the safety of its passengers, crew members, and aircraft.

“Just looking around Sudan itself, we’ve got Libya, which has restricted airspace; parts of northern Ethiopia, which have warnings; South Sudan has issues; and Yemen, which has issues. African airlines and Middle Eastern airlines have become quite used to deal with constantly changing situation.

There is regular updates through insurers, operations groups, and others which ensure that airlines are up to date with the latest intel as to what is happening as well as the ability to adjust flight routines to ensure that you are not putting your aircraft crew and passengers in an unsafe situation, in terms of physical conflict, or degraded air traffic control services, or similar.”

Sudan’s airspace has been actively avoided, over the on-going coup attempt, with gunfire and explosions being reported owing to an army and paramilitary fight around a proposed transition to civilian rule and its opposition.

According to Sean Mendis, “about fifteen aircraft are reported to have been destroyed, including some from foreign airlines,” with airspace to be reopened at least April 22 at 12 midnight.

Airlines’ costs have increased slightly as a result of the closure. “All airlines who previously flew over Sudan have had to find detours, and that means flights from Ethiopia to Europe or from Dubai to West Africa are having to either go west or fly over Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, which is adding maybe 10 to 15 minutes flying time, or go further south, which is around Kenya and Uganda on their way, which adds about 20 minutes to the flying time with increased fuel consumption.”

He added that “Aircraft like the A350 are burning around 1 ton of extra fuel per 10 minutes, with a cost impact of around $800 at current fuel prices. Airlines will probably absorb this in the short term, but if the situation continues for a longer time the costs will eventually be passed on to the consumer.”

Sudan’s geographic location is so east in Africa that airlines have to fly over Sudan when flying from east Africa to Europe and flying from the middle east to West Africa or South America.