Recent conflict in the Middle East understandably has passengers asking what measures are in place to keep flying safe when there are military activities, including missile launches.
Its a legitimate question. The downing of Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243 in December last year was a fresh reminder that the risks in conflict zones are real. And a simple Internet search will find other examples. These extremely rare tragedies drive everyone in aviation to do their utmost to keep flying safe at all times, and especially when there is armed conflict.
Most travellers will be completely unaware of the work that this involves. While assessing risk is subjective in nature, there is a layered approach to managing flying when conflicts break out or escalate.
The first layer is the longstanding agreement by states that civilian aircraft must never be the target of military operations. This is written in the Chicago Convention which is the bedrock of international civil aviation.
The second layer of protection is the obligation of states to consider any risks and declare their airspace open, closed or restricted in any way. This information is broadly circulated among governments, airlines, providers of air traffic management services and others through a system of NOTAMs or Notices to Airmen. If airspace is closed or restricted, airlines cannot, do not and will not use it.