‘All conflict zones should be closed to airlines’ – pilots

The US Federal Aviation Administration orderd three US airlines that fly to Israel to halt flights for 24 hours. It’s mandatory and not open to discussion.

But unlike the FAA, the European Aviation Safety Agency does not have the authority to ban airlines flying into Ben Gurion airport. It can only issue a “strong recommendation” carriers avoid the airport, which it has done.

The European airlines can do what they choose, it comes down to their attitudes to risk. Easyjet decided on Tuesday night to follow the FAA’s lead and has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv.

The airline’s statement says: “easyJet will review its operations to and from Israel on a day by day basis taking into account the advice from all the relevant authorities”.

The world has changed since MH17. We have seen what even amateurs are capable of. BALPA General Secretary Jim McAuslan

But British Airways is holding firm. It told Channel 4 News: “Our flights to Tel Aviv are continuing to operate as normal, although we are keeping the situation under review. We would never operate a flight unless we believe it is safe to do so”.

The majority of the British Airline Pilots Association’s members are BA pilots. The general secretary of Balpa, Jim McAuslan, told me many members are asking why BA is still flying into Tel Aviv. And Balpa thinks British Airways should suspend flights for the immediate future.

A nearly empty arrival lounge of Ben Gurion International airport, near Tel Aviv

Balpa is calling for the International Civil Aviation Organisation – which is part of the United Nations – to be given the powers to make the final, global, decision on whether airspace is safe.

Mr McAuslan told Channel 4 News: “The Americans are saying don’t fly, the Europeans are saying it might be alright, pilots want someone to sort this out internationally, to give a clear instruction whether we should be flying to Tel Aviv or not. Pilots have got their hands full making sure the aircraft is safe, without wondering whether the airspace is safe.”

Balpa does not accept the threat from Hamas rockets is not the same as the threat from surface to air missiles in Ukraine. Mr McAuslan says all conflict zones should be closed to airlines, even if it means a commercial cost.

“The world has changed since MH17. We have seen what even amateurs are capable of. We are calling on the International Civil Aviation Organisation to get hold of this situation and issue clear instructions. I think we need to say that any area that is a war zone, whatever sort of weapons they’re using, is unsafe to fly into,” he added.

British Airways was one of the airlines that decided to fly around the danger zone over Ukraine, when Malaysian Airlines and others continued to cross that airspace. The International Civil Aviation Organiation said then it was safe to fly over that part of Ukraine.

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