Despite MH17, Flights Continue Through Active War Zones

By Eze Eluchie

Was quite shocked when I looked at the Video Screen in front of my Emirate airline seat on the inbound flight to Lagos and realized that from its flight path, the airplane I was aboard was flying directly through an active war zone – through Maidugri, Bornu State, a notorious hot-bed of Boko Haram operations.

I immediately checked the altitude at which the plane was flying and it struck me that we were actually flying within range of moderately advanced Surface to Air Missiles (SAM’s). All it would take to have brought the plane down was some deranged Boko Haram terrorist, desirous to make ‘paradise’ (Hell more likely) to have the plane within his target and press a trigger, and boom!

How on earth could Nigerian authorities and the International Civil Aviation authorities, following from the experience with Malaysian Airways Flight MH17, allow airline passengers to be at such risk?

One would have thought that after the shooting down of MH17 over Ukrainian airspace, efforts would have been concretized by ICAO and other international aviation regulatory agencies to develop a mandatory regime where by flights, more particularly international flights, will actively avoid passing through areas of active conflict.

The world does not have to experience another Malaysia Airways Flight MH17 before concrete action is taken and general standards set.


Earlier BlogPost 'And the Big Bird Fell from the Skies....'
http://ezeluchie.blogspot.com.ng/2014/07/and-big-bird-fell-from-skies.html

Picture: Snapshot of Video Screen aboard Emirate Airlines as it flies over Nigeria’s hotbed of Boko Haram terror activities