On March 15, 2022, less than one month into the war in Ukraine in our digest, “Ukraine War and Aviation: The loss of a Legend.” in highlighting aviation’s first casualty of that war, we wrote about the loss of The Antonov An-225 Mriya, more affectionately called “AN-225”. A mere two weeks later on March 29th, 2022, just one month into the war in Ukraine in our digest, “Ukraine War: The effects on civil aviation.” we stated that there is little doubt that the war in Ukraine is having an impact on the regional and global aviation industry.
Now with a new declaration of war between Hamas and Israel, we should be very familiar with the kind of fallout expected from a war. Those of us who can remember the war on terror after 9/11 will know the impact that war had on our beloved aviation industry. Even for the past year and a half with the war in Ukraine, we can see the impact across the region. One can only imagine with two major wars happening in major aviation hubs around the world what that will mean for the aviation industry.
On Aviation™ Note: Wars and conflicts are never good for aviation, this is because the industry is very sensitive to any kind of shock. Be they economic, political, socio-political, geo-political, or military in nature. Needless to say, the new declaration of war in the Middle East will undoubtedly bring instability to the region and affect aviation significantly particularly in that region.
It is worth noting that airlines that operate in the region have that region as part of their profitability calculations. Therefore as profitability slumps in that region due to instability they must offset and account for this in other areas which will affect other regions that do not have a direct impact of the war.
In this digest, we share some stories and articles on what has been happening with some airlines as a result of the declaration of war in the Middle East, giving the readers a better understanding of how this new war compounded on top of the current war in Ukraine will be affecting the aviation industry in general.
United, American, Delta cancel Israel flights after war breaks out
The three major US airlines halted flights with Israel after the country was attacked by Hamas over the weekend, while some Middle Eastern and European carriers continued to give passengers an exit route from the developing war. Delta Air Lines Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc and American Airlines Group Inc. canceled services to Tel Aviv, as did European counterparts Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Air France-KLM and budget specialist Wizz Air Holdings Plc.
By Will Davies and Siddharth Philip | Bloomberg
Major airlines suspend flights to, from Israel amid war with Hamas
Major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.
Israel hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Video posted online appeared to show a plume of smoke near a terminal at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Scores of arriving and departing flights at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport were canceled or delayed, according to the airport’s online flight board.
American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest.
By Associated Press
American Airlines pilot union calls for stopping flights to Israel, citing declaration of war
The pilots’ union for American Airlines has directed its members to refuse to fly to Israel, citing the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza.
Union President Ed Sicher said in an email to members that the company’s pilots should not fly to Israel until they “can be reasonably assured of the region’s safety and security.”
The email cites the most recent advisory from the U.S. State Department, which warns that the current situation in Israel “continues to be unpredictable,” and that mortar and rocket fire can take place any time without warning, putting aircraft in danger.
“It is not prudent or appropriate to knowingly put our flight crews and passengers in harm’s way by maintaining flights into a war zone,” Sicher said.
Israel formally declared war Sunday as it bombarded the Gaza strip with airstrikes in retaliation for a major surprise attack by Hamas.
By Associated Press
Embroiled In War, Israel’s Single AI-Enabled Oron Intel Aircraft Has A Heavy Burden
Israel just put the finishing touches on what may be the planet’s most advanced ISR aircraft. Hamas’ attacks have launched it into action sooner than expected.
In late August, Israel’s Defense Ministry’s announced major progress in the preparation of the Oron intelligence-gathering aircraft. Based on Gulfstream’s G550 business jet airframe, the Oron was delivered to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in early 2021.
The IDF describes Oron as a joint multi-domain, multi-sensor solution incorporating “revolutionary sensors and C4I [command-control] systems” that provide “unprecedented intelligence capabilities across expansive terrain, enabling real-time monitoring of ground movements under diverse weather and visibility conditions.”
By Eric Tegler | Forbes
Note: The views and opinions expressed in the content shared in this digest are for informational purposes only, are solely those of the original content creators, and do not constitute an endorsement by or necessarily represent the views of On Aviation™ or its affiliates.
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