Washington.- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued five notices this Friday warning U.S. air operators of a «potentially dangerous situation» in airspace over the Pacific, ranging from Mexico to Ecuador, passing through Colombia and Central America, «due to military activities» and possible interference with navigation systems.
The notifications, which will be in effect for 60 days (until March), recommend that companies and pilots take extreme precautions "when operating in maritime zones over the Pacific Ocean" in the flight information regions in the Gulf of California in Mexico (MMFR), Central America (MHTG), Panama (MPZL), Bogota (SKED) and Guayaquil (SEFG).
The writings explain that "due to military activities and GNSS (acronym for global satellite navigation system) interference, there are potential risks for aircraft at all altitudes, including overflight and flight arrival and departure phases."
The Southern Spear Operation Continues
As things stand, the warning seems to point to the possibility of U.S. military aircraft operating without prior notification or with their transponders deactivated in these two flight information regions.
The U.S. maintains a naval contingent deployed in the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear, through which Washington has also summarily destroyed alleged drug trafficking boats sailing in the eastern Pacific not far from the Colombian coast.
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That same contingent supported Operation Absolute Resolution, through which the US Army captured last January 3rd the
Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas.
Colombia is not currently registering any alterations
For its part, the Colombian government stated that there are no "visible effects on air navigation" following the FAA warnings.
The
Civil Aeronautics (Aerocivil) indicated in a statement that "no visible effects on air navigation have been evidenced, nor are there conditions that impede or limit the normal development of air operations in the airspace under Colombian responsibility or on the routes used by national airlines."
"It is specified that Colombian airlines have already been informed about the content of the NOTAM (notice from the United States). In particular, the companies that operate international flights or that operate in the geographical areas mentioned are fully aware of the situation," the information added.
The Aerocivil indicated that, "according to the preliminary analysis, an impact that would lead to the suspension or restriction of air operations is not foreseeable at this time."
Mexico rules out impact
Meanwhile, the Mexican Government affirmed that the FAA alert is only preventive and does not imply restrictions or operational effects for airlines or national operators.
In that sense, he explained that
there are no "operational implications or restrictions for Mexico, nor for Mexican airlines or operators."
The SICT explained that the notice was issued "exclusively" for U.S. civilian operators, including their airlines and pilots, "since that authority is only competent to issue provisions applicable to operators in its country."
He insisted that the communication measure is preventive and is similar to others that were decreed weeks earlier for the Caribbean region and that there is no "affectation whatsoever for civil aviation in Mexico, nor changes in the operating conditions of national airspace," he affirmed.
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