PPRuNe Forums - Ethiopian Cargo flight from Addis Ababa to Hong Kong was intercepted by Indonesian AF

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Originally Posted by atpcliff (Post 10363819)

I looked up the airspace over Batam Island, and it shows it is within the Singapore FIR.

And it's not unusual to overfly Batam when on an extended downwind for a landing to the north at SIN in my experience.

Indonesia indeed wants a chunk of that Singapore FIR and this dispute has been going on for years.

Looks like the Ethiopian non-sked cargo flight was a juicy target of opportunity for Jakarta.

From Singapore's Straits Times a couple of days before the intercept:

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Singapore responds to comments by ex-Indonesia air force officers over Flight Information Region

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Published

Dec 12, 2017, 3:09 pm SGT

Singapore's top envoy in Indonesia said former Indonesian air force officers had misrepresented the facts when speaking to local media about the Singapore Flight Information Region (FIR).

"Their comments, as reported, misrepresent the facts. First the administration of the FIR is not an issue of sovereignty," Singapore's Ambassador to Indonesia Anil Kumar Nayar said. His letter to the chief editor of MetroTVnews was posted on the Singapore embassy's Facebook on Tuesday (Dec 12).

"It is based on operational and technical considerations to provide effective air traffic control services."
The report in MetroTVnews.com on Nov 30 was titled "Pemerintah Harus Segera Kendalikan Penerbangan di Langit Kepri" (The government should immediately control flights over Kepri skies), referring to the skies over Riau Islands province.

The report carried the comments of former Indonesian Air Force chief of staff, Air Chief Marshal (Retired) Chappy Hakim and chairman of the Air Power Centre of Indonesia Air Vice-Marshal (Retired) Koesnadi Kardi.

Indonesia's ambition to become a major regional aviation player also involves reclaiming the FIR, which Singapore currently controls for take-offs, landings and overflights in the region.In pushing to take over the Singapore FIR, some Indonesian officials have said Jakarta should have full control as it involves the country's sovereignty.

But the envoy noted: "The paramount priority is aviation safety. This complex issue is under the ambit of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and involves other countries and international users of the busy airspace covered by the FIR."

Ambassador Nayar added: "It is not unusual for the air traffic authorities of one country to provide air traffic management services in the territorial airspace of another country.

"Indonesia, for example, provides air traffic management services in airspace which belongs to other countries."

After the intercept this crowing of victory in the Jakarta Post:

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Indonesia gains flight control over Riau skies

The Jakarta Post

Batam / Wed, January 16, 2019 / 05:05 pm

Indonesia has renewed its pledge to complete the takeover of flight information region (FIR) control over Riau Islands and Riau provinces from Singapore.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the forcing down of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft to land in Batam by the Air Force's F-16 planes on Monday showed that Indonesia had started to gain control in the region.

“We want to show that our system is improving. Indonesia can now monitor people entering our territory without identity or permission,” Luhut told a press conference in Batam, Riau Islands.

Luhut, who is also tasked with completing the FIR takeover from Singapore, said the Air Force had shown its high capability and that it deserved appreciation for what it did with the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft.

Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said he had ordered the Ethiopian Airlines airplane to land in Batam, after receiving a report of an unauthorized aircraft entering Indonesian territory.

“I want the regulation to be enforced and currently it is currently being processed by the relevant ministry,” said Hadi, adding that the airplane was carrying Rolls Royce aircraft engines and accessories to be flown to Hong Kong.

Separately, Hang Nadim Airport director Suwarso said the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft had received direction from Singapore’s FIR and had as well planned to land in Batam.

The 777 repositioned to SIN and then flew to HKG yesterday:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b2dabdb6eb.jpg
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/a...t-avn#1f34cedb

The flight was delivering a Trent 1000 engine according to this AIN article:

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Ethiopian Airlines is working with Indonesian authorities to clear up the miscommunication over traffic rights that led to the interception by the Indonesian air force of an Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200F. The freighter entered Indonesian airspace as part of a flight from its hub at Addis Ababa to Singapore to bring an Ethiopian Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine to an engine shop in Singapore for overhaul. Ethiopia’s national carrier has more than 20 Boeing 787-8s and -9s in its fleet, of which four are powered with the Trent 1000 engines that require an upgrade of the intermediate pressure turbine blades that have exhibited durability issues. The European Aviation Safety Agency and the FAA recently certified a redesigned intermediate pressure compressor blade for the Trent 1000 Package C engine.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...ines-freighter

Some analysis of the situation from a flight planning perspective on this blog post:

https://ops.group/blog/tag/singapore-fir/