Airlines are changing routes to avoid conflict areas such as Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Myanmar, and Central Africa, inflating costs and emissions|@flightradar24|X

Global conflicts are making it hard for airlines and pilots to navigate constant changes in airspace shutdowns, no-fly zones, and GPS jamming when flying across the Middle East, Central Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, global warfare zones have expanded by 65%, covering an area nearly twice the size of India.

Airlines are rerouting to avoid hotspots like Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Myanmar, and Central Africa.

For instance, flights between Helsinki and Tokyo now take 3.5 hours longer. Last year, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic nixed their direct flights between London and Beijing.

Just this week, two dozen flights were diverted due to Iran’s missile strike on a US base in Qatar, affecting carriers like Qantas and Air India.

Constant reroutes and changes have left several passengers stranded. It is also costing airlines as longer routes affect their revenue.

Rising GPS spoofing incidents
A UK pilot flying over Israel recently reported a GPS spoofing incident in which cockpit instruments falsely displayed an altitude of 1,500 feet instead of the actual 38,000 feet, triggering alarms in the plane.

Spoofing overrides GPS signals and shows wrong locations in planes. It is a growing trend that surged 500% in 2024, affecting 1,500 flights a day, according to flight experts at Ops Group.

Some worry the increasing number of fake alarms could desensitize pilots to cockpit alerts.

Triggered by modern warfare, these disruptions add pressure to an already high-stakes job.