How can the Middle East Airlines of Lebanon still fly between rockets, missiles? | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News

Commercial air traffic continued to cross airspace over the Middle East, despite pilots seeing missiles flying from their work stations.

Drones, rockets and missiles have been criss-crossing the skies since Israel’s attack on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, followed by its attack on Lebanon the following year.

The most notable among the regional airlines would be the Lebanese airline and the only connection left with the outside world: MEA, or Middle East Airlines, which continues to fly under the most difficult conditions.

With the war still going on, how and why do the airlines still insist on flying?

Here’s what you need to know:

Do pilots really see missiles flying?

On October 1st, Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation for the series of killings that Israel had carried out.

Airlines were not repaired, including the Air France Paris-Dubai flight that was over Iraq at the time.

Its pilots could see the rockets flying into the sky.

Iraqi air traffic control can do nothing but wish them luck.

So why are airlines still flying across the region?

There isn’t much choice in certain routes, experts say.

Since the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, which killed all 298 passengers and crew in eastern Ukraine, existing routes between Europe and Southeast Asia have become more crowded, Ian Petchenik, director of communications at Flightradar24, told Al Jazeera.

The incident led to many commercial flights avoiding eastern Ukraine.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, airspace across Ukraine was closed, many Western airlines chose to avoid Russian and Belarusian airspace.

Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon also reduced the available airspace.

Is it dangerous to fly?

Commercial aircraft must be safe when on an authorized flight path.

This is because all air traffic controllers will have the best interest of the common people, even if their countries don’t speak to each other, said Andrew Charlton, director of the Aviation Advocacy consultancy.

Individual airlines are also taking matters into their own hands.

“Airlines have had very good relationships with countries they fly to frequently,” aviation expert Paul Beaver told Al Jazeera.

Beaver also said technology and regulations, including additional fuel in the event of a disruption, ensure commercial aviation in the region remains safe.

During the Oct. 1 attack, the pilots would have had to press a few buttons to take a predetermined route, he said.

However, Charlton says, flying over the surface still constitutes a “calculated risk” based on an assessment by the airline’s safety team.

What happens when a country closes its airport?

Restoring the route, though that comes with its own problems.

For example, flights during the height of the unrest around Israel or Lebanon are often transferred to the Sinai Peninsula or Cairo, leaving the Egyptian air traffic control to deal with the conflict itself.

Petchenik said the sudden closure of airspace across the region would threaten to “overload” a single country’s ability to control air traffic.

Closing airports also has a financial impact, with countries losing important tax revenue and risking deterring airlines from flying to destinations within their borders.

Controlling airspace can also be a political tool. On Sunday, for example, Turkey denied Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s request to use his plane to attend the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Are missiles the only danger?

No.

Israel uses GPS spoofing to transmit fake signals to planes. If you’re reading it, it’s not uncommon for your GPS location to suddenly show you in the wrong city or country.

Fraud simply requires sending bad data to the GPS tracker instead of suppressing the signal, which happens in GPS jamming.

Petchenik said airlines are now familiar with the practice and use alternative navigation methods when it occurs, but it has caused panic when it can confuse flight plans and cause false location alerts.

What about Israeli airlines?

Israel has equipped its commercial aircraft with anti-missile systems since 2004.

The “flight guard” system includes a radar device that detects incoming missiles and flares to avoid them.

According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, each unit costs about $1m.

Other airlines and airlines are reported to have similar programs on board, especially planes that carry heads of state and other VIPs, but the number is unknown.

Okay, but let’s talk about MEA. How does it fly?

MEA continued to fly daily, a source of admiration and pride for many Lebanese.

Shocking footage has gone viral of MEA planes, taking off and landing at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport amid smoke from Israeli strikes.

At Beirut International Airport; btwn arrows at the gates, peace within, lonely and small planes (thank you warriors @MEAAIRLIBAN), we @ifrc & @RedCrossLebanon Find a way to help people deliver, always. Hard times! pic.twitter.com/mDKcaKP4y5

— Hossam Elsharkawi حسام (@elsharkawi) November 12, 2024

MEA pilot Mohammed Aziz told Al Jazeera that senior managers spend about five hours each day deciding whether it is safe to fly in and out of Beirut.

“We received a very good guarantee from the government, from the major embassies of other countries, that the Beirut airport, as long as it is used for public purposes, will be kept out of the conflict,” he added.