Europe-Asia flights risk being disrupted/ What is happening in the two remaining air corridors?
Air links between Europe and Asia have reached their highest level of risk of blockage. Airlines are alarmed and are now considering halting West-East flights if the last available corridor, the one over Afghanistan and Pakistan, is closed.
The first "highway" of the sky, the southern one, passes through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries and then leads to the Indian Ocean. But until at least March 2, the European Aviation Safety Agency advised against using it due to the risk that a military clash between the US/Israel and Iran could lead to the downing of a civilian aircraft. This is without taking into account the role of Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have repeatedly fired missiles into the area.
The second, central "highway" runs through Turkey, over Iraq and into the Persian Gulf (or Arabian Gulf). It is usually busy - especially with carriers in the area, including Emirates and Qatar Airways - but today it is closed because it runs right between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, a "perfect" place for a firefight.
The third "highway" for European airlines is the northern one, stretching along the entire Anatolian Peninsula, then continuing towards Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and beyond. It is a corridor that mitigates the consequences of the closure of Russian airspace more than any other corridor, but in return, it requires flying over a country like Afghanistan, under Taliban control.
And it is precisely this corridor that is in danger of being closed. For several days, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been exchanging cross-border attacks, especially from the air. Air traffic control authorities and airlines will have to decide whether to avoid the area or continue to fly over it.
A flight from Europe to Asia could be made by passing west over Greenland, Canada, and Alaska, and then descending towards the Pacific. But this is not a viable solution for all carriers (or all aircraft models), would significantly extend the travel time - and therefore increase operating costs - and could require a refueling stop in North America.
According to data provided by the specialized platform Cirium, an average of 350 flights per day are scheduled between the European Union and Asia, in both directions, during the week of March 2-8, 2026. All connections pass through the two remaining open corridors. These figures exclude Chinese airlines, which continue to fly through Russian airspace to reach Europe.
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