The commercial aviation industry is being driven to the front lines of intensifying armed conflicts around the globe. On the 11th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that unprecedented scales of missile and drone attacks have directly struck major airports, parked aircraft, and the airspaces of various nations, throwing global skies into a state of emergency. Since the start of the joint US-Israeli military operations against Iraq and Iran last February, major airports in the Middle East have been persistent targets of attack. Disasters have continued where commercial aircraft parked on tarmac aprons were hit by missiles or air defense interceptor debris, resulting in the deaths of crew members and passengers.

The situation escalated to its worst when King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was targeted by a missile attack from the Houthi rebels in Yemen on the 10th. The attack resulted in at least 12 deaths and over 300 injuries. It marks the worst casualties in Saudi Arabia in a decade and the most lethal direct attack on a civilian airport. In the aftermath, global airlines scrambled to execute massive diversions, and over 1,000 flights were canceled. Saudi authorities stated that on the 11th, additional attacks targeting the blockaded airport continued, causing a fire at Terminal 4 and the interception of a cruise missile nearby. As Saudi Arabia’s major airports were struck one after another, one of the core alternative flight corridors connecting Europe and Asia effectively fell into a state of blockade. Governments of major countries including the US, the UK, and Australia advised their citizens to refrain from using Riyadh Airport, while France, Canada, and Germany warned their national airlines that flying over all or parts of Saudi airspace is hazardous. Experts point out that the frequency and scale of damage caused by conventional missiles and long-range drones attacking commercial aircraft and airports are reaching historic highs. Furthermore, the risk is further amplified as countries' stocks of air defense missiles are becoming depleted. Matt Borie, Chief Intelligence Officer at aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions, advised, "The final judgment on operational safety depends on the risk assessments of individual governments and airlines," adding, "Passengers must check government travel advisories." Aside from aerial strikes, internal threats are also becoming visible. Earlier this month, a new security risk originating from inside the cockpit emerged when a pilot of an UAE-based flydubai flight attempted to hijack an aircraft bound for Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport to crash it, though the attempt was thwarted. Global airspaces are already on the verge of explosion. Iran has targeted fuel tanks, runways, and control facilities at airports in Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, while Beirut Airport suffered damage from Israeli attacks. Ukraine has also been launching continuous drone attacks targeting Russian airspace. As the situation worsened, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently strongly urged member states to "take measures to prevent the aviation industry from getting caught up in conflicts." OPSGROUP, an aviation safety organization, also advised detouring around the entire Saudi airspace, noting that "the Houthi rebels are clearly targeting civil aviation." As safe zones connecting Europe and Asia disappear, the burden on airlines is growing. Following the closure of Russian airspace due to the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, with Middle Eastern airspace now also closing, airlines are crowding into narrow flight corridors passing through Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. The Journal reported that due to these factors, increased detour times, and rising jet fuel costs, the financial burden and operational disruptions in the aviation industry are expected to persist for the time being.

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