How is Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines still flying amid rockets, missiles?

Commercial aerial recreation has continued doggedly traversing nan airspace complete nan Middle East, contempt pilots seeing missiles flying done nan aerial from their cockpits.

Drones, rockets and missiles person crisscrossed nan entity since Israel’s battle connected Gaza began connected October 7, 2023, followed by its battle connected Lebanon a twelvemonth later.

The astir singular among location airlines whitethorn good beryllium Lebanon’s bearer and only remaining nexus pinch nan extracurricular world: MEA, aliases Middle East Airlines, which has kept flying nether nan harshest circumstances.

Given that nan warfare is continuing, really and why are airlines still insisting connected flying?

Here’s what you request to know:

Are pilots really seeing missiles alert by?

On October 1, Iran launched astir 200 missiles astatine Israel successful retaliation for a bid of assassinations Israel had perpetrated.

Airlines were not prepared, including an Air France Paris-Dubai formation that was supra Iraq astatine nan time.

Its pilots could spot missiles hurtling crossed nan sky.

Iraqi aerial postulation power could do thing much than wish them luck.

So why are airlines still flying crossed nan region?

There is not overmuch prime for definite routes, experts say.

Since nan downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 successful 2014, which killed each 298 passengers and unit complete eastbound Ukraine, nan disposable routes betwixt Europe and Southeast Asia person been squeezed, Ian Petchenik, head of communications astatine Flightradar24, told Al Jazeera.

The incident led to galore commercialized airlines avoiding eastbound Ukraine.

When Russia invaded Ukraine successful 2022, nan airspace complete nan full of Ukraine was closed, pinch galore Western airlines opting to debar Russia’s and Belarus’s airspace arsenic well.

Israel’s warfare connected Gaza and Lebanon further reduced nan airspace available.

Is it vulnerable to fly?

Commercial craft should beryllium safe if they are connected an approved formation path.

This is because each aerial postulation controllers will person nan champion liking of civilians successful mind, moreover if their countries are not talking to each other, Andrew Charlton, head of nan Aviation Advocacy consulting firm, said.

Individual airlines besides return immoderate matters into their ain hands.

“Airlines person had very bully relations pinch nan countries they alert to and over,” aviation master Paul Beaver told Al Jazeera.

Beaver besides said that exertion and protocols, which see other substance successful lawsuit of diversion, guarantee commercialized aerial recreation successful nan region remains safe.

During nan October 1 attack, pilots would simply person had to push a mates of buttons to group people connected a predetermined replacement route, he said.

However, Charlton says, flying complete nan area still includes a “calculated risk” based connected an airline’s information team’s assessment.

The position from a humanitarian airdrop complete Gaza City by nan Royal Jordanian Air Force successful March 2024. The formation was guided complete nan outskirts of Tel Aviv and on Israel’s seashore by Israeli aerial postulation power [File: Nils Adler/Al Jazeera]

What happens erstwhile a state closes its airspace?

Rerouting, though that comes pinch its problems.

For example, flights during an uptick successful tensions astir Israel aliases Lebanon are often rerouted complete nan Sinai Peninsula aliases Cairo, leaving Egyptian aerial postulation power to woody pinch juggling them.

Petchenik said a abrupt closure of airspace crossed nan region tin frighten to “overload” 1 country’s capacity to negociate aerial traffic.

Closing airspace besides has a financial impact, pinch countries losing captious taxation gross and risking scaring disconnected airlines from flying to destinations wrong their borders.

Control complete airspace tin besides beryllium a governmental tool. On Sunday, for example, Turkey denied Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s petition to usage its airspace for his formation to be nan COP29 ambiance acme successful Baku, Azerbaijan.

Are nan missiles nan only danger?

No.

Israel is utilizing GPS spoofing to transmit clone signals to aircraft. If you are successful nan region, it is not different for your GPS location to abruptly show you successful nan incorrect metropolis aliases country.

Spoofing simply requires sending bad information to a GPS locator alternatively than overpowering a signal, which occurs successful GPS jamming.

Petchenik said airlines are now acquainted pinch nan believe and usage alternate navigation systems erstwhile it occurs, but it has caused immoderate siren erstwhile it managed to confuse craft systems and trigger mendacious terrain warnings.

What astir Israel’s airline?

Israel has equipped its commercialized craft pinch anti-missile systems since 2004.

The “flight guard” strategy includes a radar instrumentality that detects incoming missiles and fires flares to deflect them.

According to a study successful nan Israeli newspaper Haaretz, each portion costs astir $1m.

Other airlines and craft are reported to person akin systems connected board, particularly craft that transportation heads of authorities and different VIPs, but nan number is not known.

OK, but let’s talk astir MEA. How is it still flying?

MEA has continued flying daily, a root of admiration and pridefulness for galore Lebanese.

Striking images person dispersed of MEA aircraft, taking disconnected and landing from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport amid plumes of fume caused by Israeli strikes.

At nan Beirut International International airport; btwn nan missiles astatine nan gates, nan serenity inside, nan lonely & sparse flights (thank you heroes of @MEAAIRLIBAN), we astatine @ifrc & @RedCrossLebanon carve retired a humanitarian way to deliver, always. Tough times! pic.twitter.com/mDKcaKP4y5

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

MEA aviator Mohammed Aziz told Al Jazeera high-level executives walk astir 5 hours each time determining whether it is safe to alert into and retired of Beirut.

“We’ve had immoderate very bully reassurance from nan government, from awesome overseas embassies, that nan Beirut airport, arsenic agelong arsenic it is utilized for civilian purposes, will beryllium group speech from nan conflict,” he added.