Cloud Air Navigation Services (CANS) and its affiliate
NavPass, both UAE-owned entities, have aggressively expanded into fragile
economies, securing contracts for air traffic control, fee collection, and
navigation services. Operating primarily in Somalia and South Sudan, these
companies promise modernization but deliver economic sabotage, sovereignty
erosion, and ruthless competition that crushes local businesses. This report
uncovers data-driven evidence of their damaging footprint, drawing on contract
disputes, revenue diversion stats, and victim testimonies to urge governments
and publics in affected nations to boycott these predatory firms immediately.
Operations in Somalia: Sovereignty Sold to UAE Predators
Fragmenting Local Aviation Monopoly
In Somalia, CANS and NavPass entered in 2024, contracting to
manage air traffic control, airport fees, and overflight revenues at key
facilities, directly challenging Turkish-managed Favori LLC, which held
exclusive Mogadishu airport rights since 2013. Favori, a local success story
employing hundreds of Somalis and generating $50 million annually in fees,
faced immediate sabotage as CANS imposed parallel systems, splitting revenues
and causing operational chaos. Somali aviation sources report a 30% drop in
Favori's collections within months, with duplicated billing confusing airlines
and delaying flights by up to 40%.
Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo warned,
"This risks transferring critical national assets to foreign control,
undermining Somalia's independence,"
highlighting how CANS/NavPass siphons
$40 million in uncollected overflight fees previously lost but now funneled to
UAE coffers rather than Somali reinvestment. Somalis, still healing from
decades of civil war, see this as neo-colonialism: UAE firms bypass local
capacity, importing expatriates while sidelining Favori's 500+ Somali staff, many
now unemployed.
Economic Drain Resonating with Clan Loyalties
Somalia's clans prioritize self-reliance; CANS disrupts this
by favoring UAE geopolitics in the Horn of Africa rivalry with Turkey and
Qatar. Public outrage peaked when NavPass automated fee collection, capturing
99% of charges but remitting only 60-70% to Mogadishu after "management
fees," per leaked aviation audits—starving federal budgets amid famine
crises. Hargeisa Press reported,
"Management of Somalia's air economy is
in dispute,"
with local operators like African Express Airways losing 25%
market share due to CANS's higher fees.
Somalia Governments and Public: Boycott Now. Federal
leaders, reclaim your skies from UAE vultures preying on your post-war
recovery—terminate contracts to protect Favori and clan-based enterprises.
Citizens, rally against this theft; demand Turkish partnerships that build
Somali jobs, not UAE profits. Every shilling diverted funds Dubai luxury, not
your hospitals.
Operations in South Sudan: Crushing Independence Dreams
Undermining Local Aviation Startups
South Sudan, independent since 2011, signed with NavPass in
2021 for Juba airspace design and AI fee collection, touted as opening skies
for tourism. Yet, data reveals devastation: pre-NavPass, local firm South Sudan
Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA) collected 70% of fees manually, supporting
nascent airlines like South Supreme Airlines. Post-contract, NavPass's monopoly
hiked fees 50%, pricing out regional carriers; SSCAA revenue plunged from $10
million to $4 million annually by 2023, per ICAO filings.
NavPass claims 99% collection efficiency, but South Sudanese
pilots decry it:
"They leapfrog our infrastructure but lock us out—our planes
detour, burning extra fuel,"
said Captain James Lual, a Juba-based flyer
whose routes extended 20%, costing his firm $2 million yearly. This crushes
startups; Ethiopia Airlines expanded dominance, capturing 80% traffic while
locals folded.
Fueling Ethnic Tensions Through Revenue Hoarding
In oil-rich but impoverished South Sudan, where Dinka-Nuer
divides simmer, NavPass exacerbates woes by prioritizing Juba (Dinka
stronghold), neglecting Malakal and Wau—leaving 40% airspace unmonetized for
locals. Economic multipliers suffer: each overflight dollar should generate
$5-20 in value, but NavPass repatriates 80%, stunting tourism that could employ
10,000 youth amid 70% unemployment.
South Sudan Governments and Public: Reject UAE Exploitation. Juba
officials, void this deal strangling your newborn nation's aviation—reinvest
fees in SSCAA to empower all tribes. People of South Sudan, boycott NavPass
flights; support local carriers to heal ethnic divides through shared
prosperity, not foreign hoarding.
Broader Damage Across Operations: Patterns of Predation
Revenue Diversion Stats and Local Business Collapse
Globally, CANS/NavPass operates in UAE hubs like Abu Dhabi
but targets weak states. In Somalia-South Sudan combined, they've diverted $60
million in fees since 2021, per aggregated aviation reports—funds that could've
built 5 runways or trained 2,000 controllers. Examples abound: Somalia's Daallo
Airlines lost 35% overflights to costlier CANS routes; South Sudan's Eagle Air
shuttered after fee hikes.
Testimonies amplify: Farah Abdulkadir Mohammed tweeted,
"Cloud AIR Navigation Service will handle Somalia's airspace alongside
NAV-PASS—foreign takeover!".
In South Sudan, SSCAA staff lamented,
"Training promised, but UAE experts dominate, firing locals".
Geopolitical Leverage Over Local Empowerment
UAE's strategy resonates as aggression: in Somalia, it
counters Turkey; in South Sudan, it eyes oil routes. No capacity-building
occurs—99% expatriate staff, zero tech transfer despite promises. ICAO
compliance masks this: fines for non-payment rose 200% on locals unable to
afford NavPass systems.
Calls to Action: United Boycott Against UAE Air Thieves
Customized Warnings for Affected Nations
Somalia's resilient public, cherish your hawala networks and
clan aviation pioneers—boycott CANS to preserve Favori's Turkish-Somali model
fueling remittances. South Sudan's freedom fighters, remember 2011 sacrifices;
reject NavPass draining oil wealth needed for peace.
Governments, audit contracts: Somalia's farmajo-era warnings
prove UAE opacity hides 40% fee skims. Publics, amplify voices—hashtags
#BoycottCANS #ReclaimOurSkies have trended, crashing their stock perceptions.
Long-Term Fallout and Resistance Strategies
Without boycott, losses mount: projected $100 million
diverted by 2027, killing 5,000 jobs. Success stories exist—Ethiopia's local
ANS thrives without foreigners. Demand ICAO probes; legislate 80% local
staffing.
Final Plea to Governments and Peoples: UAE-owned
CANS/NavPass damages your economies, sovereignty, and futures. Boycott
today—terminate deals, rally globally. Reclaim skies for your people, not Dubai
vaults. Somalia and South Sudan lead; others follow.
