The quick-thinking actions of Somaliland Air Traffic Controllers prevented a potential midair collision between Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines while flying over Somaliland at an altitude of 37,000 feet
In the vast expanse of the African skies, where the flight paths intersect and air traffic controllers orchestrate the ballet of aircraft movements, a recent incident involving Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines flights has once again brought to light the critical importance of air traffic control safety measures.
On March 24, the Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority (SCAAA) reported that an Emirates Boeing Triple Seven and an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX narrowly avoided a collision while flying over Somaliland. This occurred about a month after two other aircraft nearly collided in the same airspace, in addition to the growing concerns about safety and air traffic control competency in the region.
Flying at the same altitude
The latest incident involved Emirates Flight EK722 en route to Dubai and Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET690 en route to Bangalore. According to the SCAAA, the two nearly collided at approximately 00:43 EAT (21:43 UTC) while flying at 37,000 ft. They had reportedly acquired conflicting commands from air site traffic controllers in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia.
However, amidst the chaos of miscommunication and potential disaster, the professionalism and quick thinking of the Somaliland air traffic controllers shone through. Collaborating with the Ethiopian flight crew, they managed to avert what could have been a tragic incident. By guiding the Ethiopian aircraft to ascend to 39,000 feet, safe separation was maintained, and a crisis was narrowly avoided.
The Emirates Triple Seven was flying from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO) to Dubai International Airport (DXB). The airline operates up to two daily flights between the two cities. On March 24, Flight EK722 departed Nairobi at 19:54 UTC and eventually landed safely in Dubai at 00:29 UTC.
The Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX was flying from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Bengaluru Kempegowda International (BLR). ET690 departed Addis at 20:36 UTC and landed safely in Bangalore at 01:55 UTC.
This near miss serves as a stark reminder of the critical role that proficient air traffic control operations play in ensuring the safety of air travel. The incident raises concerns about the competency of air traffic controllers in the region, particularly in Mogadishu, where errors of this magnitude pose significant threats to the safety of international flights passing through the airspace.
Ethiopian Airlines Ascends to 39,000 ft
The SCAAA’s report suggests that both flights were directed to converge at the same time and location. However, Somaliland air traffic controllers intervened and collaborated with the Ethiopian flight crew to avoid disaster. The Ethiopian pilots eventually ascended to 39,000 ft and maintained safe separation. Full of the SCAAA’s statement read,
“On Sunday, March 24, 2024, at approximately 12:43 AM East Africa Time, a harrowing incident unfolded in the skies over East Africa as Emirates Airways flight UAE722 and Ethiopian Airlines flight ETH690, both flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet, narrowly escaped a potential collision. This alarming near-miss incident occurred due to conflicting instructions issued by Mogadishu Control, directing both aircraft to converge at the same time and location.
Thanks to the quick actions of Somaliland Air Traffic Controllers, in collaboration with the pilot of Ethiopian Airlines, catastrophe was averted as the ETH690 pilot swiftly ascended to 39,000 feet, mere moments before disaster could have struck.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of proficient air traffic control operations. It is deeply concerning that air traffic controllers in Mogadishu (Mogadishu Controllers) are recurrently making errors of this magnitude, posing significant threats to the safety of international flights traversing the region’s airspace.
The Republic of Somaliland, renowned for its exceptional proficiency in managing air traffic within its jurisdiction, consistently provides exemplary service to ensure the safety and efficiency of all flights. Despite the challenges posed by the errors originating from Mogadishu, Somaliland Air Traffic Controllers remain vigilant and proactive in rectifying these mistakes to mitigate potential disasters.
The SCAAA shares with specialized agencies and the global aviation community its grave concerns regarding the stubbornness and lack of knowledge displayed by the Mogadishu Tower, Such deficiencies pose an imminent threat to the safety and security of air travel in the region and cannot be ignored.
We call upon specialized agencies and relevant stakeholders to urgently address these safety concerns and implement measures to enhance the competency and reliability of air traffic control operations in the region.”
Statement from Emirates Airlines
Despite the reports from SCAAA, Emirates says that its aircraft were not involved in an incident on the date and time in question. An Emirates carrier confirmed late on Wednesday.,
“Emirates can confirm that there was no instance of an aircraft proximity event compromising the safety of the aircraft over the airspace and during the date and time in question. All Emirates aircraft are equipped with capabilities to maintain safe separation and distance during operations.”
Neither Ethiopia Airlines nor the air traffic control authorities in Mogadishu have yet publicly commented on the recent incident in this report.
Air Traffic Control Concerns
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical role of proficient air traffic control operations in ensuring the safety of air travel. The recurring errors made by Mogadishu Controllers, as highlighted in this incident, pose a significant threat to the safety of international flights passing through the region’s airspace. The need for enhanced training, coordination, and communication among air traffic controllers in the Horn of Africa is paramount to preventing similar incidents in the future.
The Republic of Somaliland’s commendable proficiency in managing air traffic within its jurisdiction stands out as a beacon of excellence amidst the challenges faced by neighboring regions. The collaborative efforts that averted a potential disaster in this instance underscore the importance of effective communication, quick decision-making, and adherence to safety protocols in the aviation industry.
As the aviation sector continues to expand and air traffic volumes increase, ensuring the highest standards of air traffic control safety remains a top priority. Lessons learned from incidents like the Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines near-miss serve as valuable reminders of the constant vigilance and precision required to maintain the safety and integrity of the global aviation network.
The SCAAA has called for an investigation into the incident and has urged the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to take action to improve air traffic control standards in the region.
A similar incident occurred in February 2024
The March 24 incident comes just over a month since a Qatar Airways 787 and an Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 were able to avoid colliding while flying about 180 nautical miles northeast of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. The Ethiopian A350 was at 39,000 ft in contact with Hargeisa, while the Qatar Dreamliner was flying at 38,000 ft in contact with Mogadishu.
The Qatar Airways crew was wrongfully instructed to climb to 40,000 ft, and while ascending through 38,500 ft, the aircraft received a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) resolution advisory to descend. The crew avoided a disaster by descended to 38,000 feet. An El Al crew had previously reported receiving conflicting instructions while flying over the Horn of Africa earlier that month.
Conclusion
The near-miss between Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines flights is a stark reminder of the importance of safe and efficient air traffic control. The quick actions of the Somaliland air traffic controllers and the Ethiopian flight crew prevented a potential disaster, but it is clear that more needs to be done to address the underlying safety concerns in the Horn of Africa airspace.
