Bolivian President Evo Morales’s plane refused permission to enter EU airspace
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Bolivian President Evo Morales’s plane refused permission to enter EU airspace
Can anyone here explain how something like this can happen? Do the rules just go out the window when the political pressure is large enough? Are there no ramifications within the industry for such actions?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/wo...nowden.html?hp
Outraged Bolivian officials, insisting that Mr. Snowden was not on the plane, were accusing France and Portugal of acting under American pressure to rescind permission for President Evo Morales’s plane to traverse their airspace on the way back to Bolivia. Low on fuel, the plane’s crew won permission to land in Vienna.
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The airspace within which the 'industry' flies is 'owned' by the government, so they are able to choose who is allowed to fly through it or not. I'm surprised you're not aware of such basic aviation law.
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Someone wll be along in a minute to tell you that carpentry tools don't need ATC clearances. Seriously though, BDiONU is right; the Government can refuse permission for any flight. This may happen before the flight is airborne, e.g. refusal of overflight permit, but if the flight is airborne then it's up to ATC to relay the message from the Government. In the UK there is standard phraseology for this. Note ATC isnot involved in the decision making process here, we are told what to do by the Government/military.
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Perhaps I should have mentioned that I am just curious SLF, not an ATC professional, and so do not know about such "basic aviation law." But thank you for educating me about it.
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Let's for instance imagine that the jet had ignored all instructions and had continued it's flight, no doubt it would have been intercepted by that country's military but those aircraft wouldn't go to guns on him, merely just monitor and follow to the border. Surely it would just end up being a massive diplomatic spat as opposed to anything else.
Hopefully not a completely thick q also. Whereas people can claim diplomatic immunity in an embassy of one country whilst in another, Ecuador in London for instance, can it also be done in the air. In this case could the pilot of the aircraft have claimed that the President has diplomatic immunity and that the ATC had to clear him though?
Hopefully not a completely thick q also. Whereas people can claim diplomatic immunity in an embassy of one country whilst in another, Ecuador in London for instance, can it also be done in the air. In this case could the pilot of the aircraft have claimed that the President has diplomatic immunity and that the ATC had to clear him though?
Last edited by Voodoo 3; 3rd Jul 2013 at 14:30.
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Whereas people can claim diplomatic immunity in an embassy of one country whilst in another, Ecuador in London for instance, can it also be done in the air. In this case could the pilot of the aircraft have claimed that the President has diplomatic immunity and that the ATC had to clear him though?
ATC do not 'own' the airspace, ANSPs have a licence, from their respective governments, to provide a service within that airspace following the rules and regulations laid down by that government. Only the government of that countries airspace has executive authority. ATC have no authority other than acting in accordance with the governments instructions, there is no diplomatic immunity in the air, but I'm more than happy to be corrected on that.
As previously mentioned by another poster in the UK controllers have a form of words they use in this situation, starts along the lines of "Her Britannic Majesties government instructs....."
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The UK phraseology also ends by asking the pilot his intentions. That could be continuing the flight and accepting an escort. It's up to the Captain to decide what he is willing to do, balanced by what the Government involved will allow him to do. What the Government must ensure though is that international law is complied with, especially if the flight is actually outside territorial limits.
