Regulations and Government
Delegation of permit processing raises concerns about even-handedness
Civil aviation authorities in some developing world states appear to be turning to commercial flight-planning groups to handle the issuing of overflight an

Civil aviation authorities in some developing world states appear to be turning to commercial flight-planning groups to handle the issuing of overflight and landing permits, raising questions about possible conflicts of interest and lack of transparency. But to the companies involved, this is simply a pragmatic response to a situation in which aircraft operators have faced frustrating delays in getting the permits they need due to lack of resources at the authorities concerned.

In July, Dubai-based Hadid International announced that it had been granted exclusive rights to handle permit requests for the ANAC aviation agency of the African state Niger. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast-based Africa Open Sky claims to hold exclusive rights to handle permit applications for nearby Mali and Benin.