It is a joke that when tensions rise in various conflicts around the world, netizens immediately log in to “monitor the situation”.
Typically this includes loading X, a live blog from your favorite news website, and of course Flightradar24.
When airspace is closed, aircraft quickly leave the area, and streams of aircraft following the same route become impossibly close to each other.
But what the yellow planes crammed onto your screen don’t convey is how much effort goes into keeping flights running smoothly and safely.
How do airlines decide which routes to take?
Lindy Lee Kirkman, regional operations director for air traffic management and infrastructure for Africa and the Middle East at the International Airport Transport Association (IATA), explains that air routes, or air routes, are like roads on a map, with multiple routes between any two city combinations around the world.
Deciding which air route or road to use involves many factors, including: weather or Reduce emissionsthe most important thing is safety and security.
“If those two aren’t met, nothing else matters,” Kirkman points out.
“Airlines are always doing safety assessments and safety assessments. Whether it’s right at the beginning at a very strategic stage, and then every part of the process moving forward towards making that flight a reality, different assessments are done. And airlines have defined criteria for ‘go’ or ‘no-go,’ and each airline defines that for itself.”
In some cases, airspace may not be closed, but individual airlines may decide it is too dangerous to fly through the area based on their own criteria and avoid it anyway.
What happens when airspace is closed?
Each country has exclusive control over its own airspace, as set out in Article 1 of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation.
If a state decides to close airspace, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) will be issued. The airline communicates with both airlines. air traffic controller In addition to being responsible for the airspace currently occupied, controllers in nearby airspace also establish locations where aircraft can be safely guided.
The images from Flightradar24 may seem chaotic, but this is what the aviation industry deals with every day.
“We balance demand and capacity as part of our day-to-day air traffic management, and there’s nothing unusual about that,” Kirkman adds.
“We need enough controllers” airspace To deal with the number of aircraft passing through. If there are more aircraft, in other words, demand is greater than capacity, it may be manageable tactically. ”
Flights can then be spaced out, letting in traffic every 10 minutes, for example, or the aircraft can be deviated slightly from course to add more miles flown so that it stays in the air a little longer than normal.
How does the industry deal with conflict zones?
Airspace closures can range from complete to partial and can last much longer than a few hours if a conflict is ongoing.
Russian invasion ukraine Countries such as Poland, Estonia and Latvia are dealing with reduced airspace due to GNSS spoofing and jamming, while others such as Azerbaijan are experiencing extra traffic as aircraft are diverted from unsafe areas.
Enrico Parrini, European director of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), the representative body for air navigation service providers, says the aviation industry is well equipped to deal with Europe’s geopolitical situation.
“I don’t think anywhere in Europe or anywhere in the world really expected this level of disruption,” he says.
“I can’t say we were ready at the time, but we know we were prepared because the contingency and level of resilience we had built earlier allowed us to deal with this situation.
“Unfortunately, this is essentially a standardized situation that we are familiar with and we have reached a point where we can carry out the activity without any impact on safety.”
In some ongoing disputes, sudanemergency routes have been established to allow aircraft to pass through safe areas of the country following non-typical routes.
By not bypassing the airspace completely, airlines avoid additional flight time and instead only face a 30-minute delay.
It is not always possible to establish emergency routes in the Middle East, as conflicts can suddenly resume.
Instead, an emergency coordination team is established if something is likely to occur.
The team, led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will coordinate with air traffic control authorities across the affected region and IATA, which will liaise directly with air traffic control authorities. airline.
The team will work to obtain as much information as possible in advance so states can know where additional traffic loads are expected so they can proactively respond to increased demand.
What to expect when traveling during airspace closures
The main thing to expect if your flight passes through normally closed airspace is delay, not delay. cancel.
“You wouldn’t necessarily expect cancellations, especially if there’s something going on,” Kirkman told Euronews Travel.
“Cancellations are generally not good because it affects everyone. Sometimes we fly longer routes, so sometimes the flight time is extended significantly, sometimes not so significantly.”
The first point of contact for updates is always the airline.
“Airlines always prioritize the safety and security of their passengers,” she added. “Stay in touch with your airline and make sure you are aware of any delays that may occur.”