IATA emphasises need to protect civil aviation amid rising tensions in West Asia, BA

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, global airlines’ grouping IATA on Friday said it should be ensured that flight operations remain safe and that airports and air navigation infrastructure are not targeted in any hostilities. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents around 330 airlines, including Indian carriers, that account for over 80 per cent of the global air traffic.

While stressing that civil aviation does not take sides in political conflicts, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said it is necessary to remind all involved in conflict of the need to ensure that flights are safe, and that critical airport and air navigation infrastructure is not targeted in any hostilities.

“As an industry that requires the effective implementation of global standards to operate, aviation upholds global standards and the international rules-based order on which they rely. As the name implies, civil aviation serves the civilian population. It must be kept out of harm’s way by all actors in a conflict,” he said in a statement.

Global air passenger demand rose 8.6 per cent in August compared to the year-ago period, as per IATA.

Walsh also said that combatants must know and abide by the rules of conflict and humanitarian assistance as laid out in international law.

“To simplify: do no harm to civilian aircraft, airports or air navigation services. This is non-negotiable and must be respected, even at the height of hostility,” he added. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as well as Hamas groups are going on while recently Iran also fired ballistic missiles towards Israel. Against this backdrop of rising tensions in West Asia, flight operations have been impacted and many airlines are avoiding the Iranian and Israeli airspace, among other areas.

Earlier this week, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin recommending operators not to perform flights in the airspace of Iran at all flight levels.