Kenyans have been warned against flying to Ethiopia after Kenya Air Traffic Controllers' Association (KATCA) discovered that Ethiopian Air Traffic controllers are giving misguiding information to Nairobi bound flights.
The safety concerns were raised after a strike by staff from the Ethiopian air controllers forced retired controllers to man the airspace.
The association indicated that planes going in and out of Ethiopia are in grave danger.
“It is our considered opinion that aircraft operating in out and out of Adis Ababa are in grave danger as the situation continues to deteriorate,” read an official statement.
Estimates and aircraft call signs passed to Nairobi by Adis Ababa in most cases are faulty and sometimes even the destinations as passed are wrong.
"Some flights originating from Adis Ababa are entering the Nairobi airspace at wrong flight levels, some east bound flights are coming in with west bound flight levels while some west bound are coming in with east bound flight levels increasing chances or serious air-masses,"
KATCA claimed the retirees have no current validation, too slow, unfamiliar with co-ordination procedures and could not pass or receive estimates correctly.
“Flights inbound Nairobi from Adis Ababa are calling Nairobi Control tower without prior estimates, with the possibility or creating serious air-misses with known traffic at the transfer point," read an official statement.
The association called on their Ethiopian counterparts to find a long lsating solution to the situation as soon as possible.
“We urge all stakeholders to for everything within their abilities to ensure that whatever issues have with their management is solved.”
