Sahel & African Airspace: Conflict Zones, Limited ATC & Overfly Risk

The Sahel belt stretching from Mali through Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and into Sudan has experienced a cascade of military political transition and internal conflict escalation since 2020, as documented by ICAO and regional aviation authorities. ASECNA (Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar), which provides ATC services for 18 member states, manages much of this airspace. However, ground-based radar coverage is limited, VHF radio coverage has significant gaps at lower altitudes, and HF radio remains the primary air-ground communication method across large portions of central and West African FIRs.

Sudan's FIR (HSSS) has been closed since April 2023 following the eruption of civil conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, per ICAO notification. Libya's FIR (HLLL) has been subject to an EASA conflict zone information bulletin for years, with the added complexity of dual ATC authorities operating from Tripoli and Benghazi. Somalia's FIR (HCSM) has severely limited ATC capacity, with a regional non-state armed group active in Somalia activity documented across large areas of the country. These closures and restrictions have channeled overfly traffic into narrower corridors, increasing congestion in already capacity-constrained FIRs.

The eastern corridor presents a different profile. Ethiopia's FIR (HAAB) has been recovering after the Tigray conflict, but regional tensions persist. Kenya serves as a stable aviation hub for East Africa but experiences northeastern spillover from Somalia's instability. Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province in the north has seen documented non-state activity, though the impact on overfly traffic at typical cruise altitudes remains limited.

For carriers operating Europe-to-Southern Africa or transiting the continent, the practical consequences are significant. Central Africa overfly routes pass through FIRs with HF-only communication, meaning position reports may be delayed and separation standards are procedural rather than radar-based. Coastal routing alternatives via West African FIRs (Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast) or East African corridors (Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania) add distance but offer better ATC infrastructure and VHF coverage. ICAO's AFI (Africa-Indian Ocean) region improvement program has been documented as ongoing, with satellite-based ADS-B surveillance being progressively implemented to supplement ground radar gaps.