{"id":30146,"date":"2026-03-07T20:08:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T20:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=30146"},"modified":"2026-03-07T20:08:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T20:08:30","slug":"as-war-spreads-airline-pilots-contend-with-drones-missiles-and-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=30146","title":{"rendered":"As war spreads, airline pilots contend with drones, missiles \u2013 and stress"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Middle East conflicts increase risks for pilots and airports<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Drones disrupt European airports, posing risks to aircraft<\/p>\n

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Airspace safety worsens with increased drones and missile threats<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

LONDON\/COPENHAGEN\/BEIRUT, March 7 (Reuters) \u2013 Airline pilots have faced escalating risks in recent years, from drone incursions to flight paths squeezed by conflict. Now U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran are making the skies even more perilous and ratcheting up the pressure on those flying through them.<\/div>\n
The outbreak of war in the Middle East has put hundreds of ballistic \u200bmissiles and\u00a0attack drones\u00a0into the skies above some of the world\u2019s busiest airports. Tehran\u2019s retaliation against the U.S. and its allies has included hitting airports,\u00a0grounding scores of flights\u00a0from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. A trickle \u200cof rescue flights has made it through for thousands of stranded passengers.<\/div>\n

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war.\u00a0Sign up\u00a0here.<\/p>\n

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Reuters spoke to eight pilots and more than a half-dozen aviation and security insiders who said the accumulation of conflicts \u2013 from Ukraine to Afghanistan and Israel \u2013 has increased the burden on pilots, forcing them to manage shrinking airspace and the wider use of military drones far from active war zones. That\u2019s increased the\u00a0strain\u00a0on the mental health of pilots desperate to keep themselves and their passengers safe.<\/div>\n
\u201cWe are not military pilots. We are not trained to deal with these kinds of threats in the air,\u201d Tanja Harter, a pilot with Middle \u200bEast experience and president of the European Cockpit Association, told Reuters.<\/div>\n
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The current crisis is the latest in a string of security threats the sector has faced over the years, she said, which could cause \u201cfear and anxiety\u201d for pilots. Airlines \u200bnow often have peer programs to help, she said, adding as a pilot she would not want to \u201cshare airspace with missiles.\u201d<\/div>\n
Airspace safety has worsened in the last two-and-a-half years as conflicts have grown, \u2060industry experts said, through a combination of GPS spoofing \u2013 maliciously tricking planes about their position \u2013 and increased numbers of\u00a0missiles and drones.<\/div>\n
An Air France\u00a0(AIRF.PA), opens new tab\u00a0flight to bring stranded French nationals home from the United Arab Emirates\u00a0turned back\u00a0due to missile fire on Thursday. A \u200bLufthansa\u00a0(LHAG.DE), opens new tab\u00a0pilot on Friday diverted from Riyadh to Cairo over regional security fears.<\/div>\n

FLYING HIGHER TO AVOID MISSILES<\/h2>\n
Middle East-trained pilots have become wearily used to emergencies, the head of Lebanon\u2019s civil aviation body said. The escalating conflict put those skills to the test quickly. Video footage \u200bon March 5 showed planes taking off from Beirut airport as smoke billowed over buildings in the Lebanese capital.<\/div>\n
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