This week was an extraordinary moment in global aviation. Transportation authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government recently declared the startup of 60 Dubai– künftig international Flüge. These flights fly through unique emergency air corridors that are designated as such. These humanitarian corridors increase safety at a time when geopolitical tensions in the region remain high. Within these departures is one historic flight taking place from Dubai to Sydney, which serves as a key turning point for both carriers and travelers.
Even as the world still copes with air travel insecurity due to recent tragedies, airlines have tentatively returned to the skies. The UAE has either completely or partially opened various airspaces to commercial flights. This gives effective passes to carriers from Oman and Saudi Arabia to start working flights in and out of their respective airports.
Safety Assessments Prior to Flight Operations
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said no flight would go ahead unless it was considered safe to do so. Airlines and governments rigorously evaluate flying in potentially dangerous circumstances. By keeping people safe and maximizing the usefulness and viability of our limited space for all travelers, their focus goes further.
Justin Brownjohn, aviation safety policy analyst, stressed the protocols that airlines adhere to in order to protect passengers as fears of flying increase. He stated, “Most major carriers, and I’m talking the likes of Qantas and Emirates, have departments within their operations control centres that have really good connections and feeds into national security providers.” This proactive approach allows airlines to receive real-time information on airspace conditions, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding flight safety.
Brownjohn added that communication between carriers such as Qantas and DFAT is important. “Qantas, for example, will be in constant contact with DFAT, and they make a collaborative effort in determining the risk profile of the flight,” he added. This unique collaboration is what helps ensure that airlines are considering every possible risk before they make any decisions about operations.
Regional Airspace Restrictions
Though some airspaces are still open, others have been entirely closed amidst rising tensions. Countries such as Israel, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain have all shut their airspace to commercial airliners. Jordan has closed part of its airspace, making the overall landscape even trickier for airlines.
At the same time, local carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways have challenged. They decided that the risk in some areas is low enough to restart limited operations. Commercial flight radar mapping shows that commercial flights are intentionally being routed away from the most high-risk areas in order to protect passengers.
The very careful return to regular flight operations comes on the heels of a horrifying pattern of commercial aviation tragedies. The horrific shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 soon after takeoff from Tehran Airport on January 8, 2020. Unfortunately, this incident is just a deeper reminder of the dangers that can be found in contested airspace. The crash led to the deaths of all 176 people on board. Similarly, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, with a subsequent investigation attributing the tragedy to a Russian-made missile.
Future of Aviation Amidst Geopolitical Tensions
Airlines are facing immense and complicated pressures today. In retaliation, Virgin Atlantic has announced its own return of service between London Heathrow to both Dubai and Riyadh. This decision is the most recent example of changing geopolitical circumstances forcing airlines to re-evaluate their route portfolios. As of today, commercial flights still stay far away from the airspace above Iran and other neighboring Gulf states.
The aviation industry is at an unprecedented tipping point where the need for operational viability and passenger safety collide. Airlines are taking extraordinary steps to calculate risk associated with individual routes and countries. As Brownjohn concludes, “All of these things feed into a risk profile,” emphasizing the multi-faceted approach airlines must take when considering flight operations.
