Airlines are facing increasingly severe challenges, including missile threats, drone activities, airspace closures and GPS spoofing, which have led to rising operating costs and frequent flight adjustments. The safety director of the European airline TUI Airlines pointed out that the lack of predictability has increased the difficulty and cost of flight planning. With the increasing number of airspace closures in regions such as Russia, the Middle East, India and Pakistan, and the reduction of flight route options, the aviation industry has no choice but to increase investment in data and safety to deal with risks.
In recent years, incidents of commercial aircraft being mistakenly hit have occurred frequently. For instance, in 2023, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight was shot down in Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 deaths. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that conflict-related incidents have become the top issue in aviation safety and called on all countries to enhance information sharing. Airlines need to formulate flight policies based on government notifications and the advice of safety advisors. However, policy differences among different countries lead to a decline in operational efficiency and even affect emission reduction targets.
To avoid risks, airlines frequently adjust their routes. For instance, Singapore Airlines has changed its European routes three times within more than a year. However, pilots and crew members expressed concerns about the safety patchwork policy, and the European Cockpit Association pointed out that commercial pressure might affect safety decisions. IATA emphasizes that crew members have the right to refuse to fly over dangerous airspace, but the industry still needs global coordination to ensure civil aviation safety.
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