Indian Ocean Control
 

Can i ask some kind ATC expert a question?
Just returned froma trip to Mauritius via Dubai.
The Dxb -MRU sector is 5hrs 30 mostly over water and a long good way from land.Pretty much due south from Dxb over the S coast of Saudi or Oman then 5 hours of nothing at all. Well we did over fly the Seychelles but they are tiny and we were a good long way from the east African coast.I cannot imagine anyone calling 'Mogadisco Centre 'along the way either.

Is there an airway on this route and who controls it and how?

All this was drifting through my sleepy mind as we paralled the African coast which must be a good two hours away at least on what must be one of the remotest and lightly used routes in the world today.
Any feedback most welcome
pb
Thnaks
PB

Hi,

For the route try this link : RouteFinder (free access area)
Departure FIMP
Arrival OMDB
BTW FL330 and 470

FIR Mauritius FIMP
http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/cad?co...00ca6a12acRCRD
http://www.gov.mu/portal/goc/cad/fil...enr/enr_61.pdf
https://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv...07_ENR-6.1.pdf

FIR Seychelles FSSS
SCAA

Hope it helps

There certainly is an airway, UR401 for most of the way.

Once you get over water your pilot should have been in contact with the following centres in this order:

Sanaa, Yemen
Mogadishu, Somalia (yes there is one there, see UN Somalia)
Seychelles
Mauritius

Many thanks for the info guys, just shows I suppose how well organised the aviation world actually is
PB

Seychelles Centre controls a hue FIR over the Indian Ocean, mainly using HF radio. All separations are proceedural as there is no radar. Went on a liason visit a few years ago while on holiday - very impressive to see such a large and complex area beng controlled by one ATCO and an ATSA!

Thnaks for message about Seychelles. I suppose it is ina a good or even only place to provide sucha function. The flight iwas on DXB-MRU souhtbound flew almost , but luckily not quite .overhead Seychelles giving me great view.

I t just struck me then to ask how control was effected on what must be one of the more isolated stretches patches of airspace around that has regualr if not that frequest traffic.
Mind you my aussie and MX colleagues at the meetign in Mauritius flew back across the southern Indian ocean and that really is remote- I think even having got used to triple sevens on longhaul I wd be happier with four engines on that Mauritius to Perth stretch

Mogadishu information, 11300, 5567 is based in the large United Nations compound of Gigiri, on the outskirts of Nairobi. This is the ICAO headquarters for this region. Been in there myself in person although years ago. Most of the controllers there were Rwandan and they act as the caretaker of Somalia. Thank goodness for HF, they can sit 560nm from Mogadishu and control the airspace.

Strange enough, these airways are quite busy, when you consider a lot of these airports have limited parking space, flights are co-ordinated not to overlap if parking is an issue. Therefore aircraft stream in at intervals through the day and night on these airways. Remember Reunion island uses these airways too, with a lot of French traffic, Air France, Air Austral, Corsair etc...