US Air Carriers Banned from Somalia

In a prudent prohibition, the FAA has banned US Air carriers from overflying Somalia below 20,000ft. The move follows the destruction of two UN contract charter aircraft, one on 09 March and another on 23 March. The two IL76D Candids were wet-leased from a Belarus contractor. The 09 March incident involved the landing IL76D taking an RPG hit from a vessel offshore as it was on late finals to Mogadishu. No-one was injured but the aircraft was extensively damaged. The repair team aircraft was hit by a MANPADS missile during its 23 March departure climb-out from Mogadishu. The #2 engine was seen to be on fire shortly before the port wing fell away at around 10,000ft. 11 persons onboard were killed. Rebels fighting the Somali government and African Union peacekeepers have been rampaging through Mogadishu for weeks, making it a no-go area because of the conflict's intensity. The FAA's restriction covers (1) U.S. air carriers; (2) U.S. commercial operators; (3) operators of U.S. registered aircraft except when such operators are foreign air carriers; and (4) persons exercising the privileges of a U.S. airman certificate except if the flight is on behalf of a foreign air carrier.