Talking with the guys here at the Orval, a lot of whom operate the length and breadth of Africa, to a ‘person’ they were astounded, disgusted, even stupefied that anybody – let alone from a ‘national carrier’ - should behave in this way.
None of them had heard the exchange so, give us a clue; about which nationalities are we talking?
It almost makes you want to go by train!
Hadn’t these guys done a CRM course?
If you have to fly at a lower altitude and burn more gas then it’s not that much of a strain to land and pick up some more.
Flying through Africa any ‘professional’ commander would have covered the lower altitude scenario, before leaving the departure point!