Airspaces are reopening, and airlines have begun reinstating flights following the announcement of a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Pilots, however, are among those increasingly affected by the current tensions in the Middle East, facing mounting stress as they operate over increasingly volatile conflict zones.
Many fear professional backlash if they refuse assignments, even when raising safety concerns. These include rapidly changing conditions such as sudden airspace closures due to missile or drone activity, forcing immediate rerouting while safeguarding hundreds of passengers.
Industry sources say the potential repercussions can range from sanctions and lost pay to outright dismissal. With talks faltering and the risk of renewed escalation rising, the outlook remains uncertain.
Ron Hay, president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) and a Delta Air Lines captain, spoke of an “underlying fear of retribution” among pilots. Some worry about being fired for refusing flights, while others face subtler pressure: “Don’t fly the trip and you don’t get paid for it.”
Without naming specific airlines, Hay added that a positive safety culture, where pilots feel free to speak up, has been lacking in the Middle East region for quite some time and has been exacerbated by this conflict.
Pilots have also criticised the lack of clear guidance on how to respond to extreme scenarios, such as missile threats or sudden airport closures.
Recent incidents have highlighted this growing unpredictability, including flights being tracked live on Flightradar as they cross active war zones, long-haul routes being turned back mid-journey and the tense encounter between two private pilots and a US F-15 fighter jet, seen in a video recently shared by CNN.
@cnn Two private pilots say their plane was intercepted by a US aircraft after war broke out in the Middle East. #cnn #news ♬ original sound – CNN
It is a heavy burden, and one many did not anticipate when they chose a career in commercial aviation rather than as fighter pilots.
“We are not military pilots. We are not trained to deal with these kinds of threats in the air,” said Tanja Harter, a pilot with Middle East experience and president of the European Cockpit Association, in a Reuters report published early in the conflict.
Based on interviews with pilots and aviation experts, the report described how wars spanning from Ukraine to the Middle East have reduced available airspace and introduced new dangers, including drones, missiles, and GPS interference, extending well beyond traditional combat zones.
The result is a significant increase in operational complexity and psychological strain for crews.
Even for veteran regional pilots, the situation feels far from routine. “Middle East pilots have always faced crises, so from the start we trained how to deal with contingencies, emergencies and everything else,” Captain Mohammed Aziz, director general of Lebanon’s civil aviation authority, told Reuters. “No one can give you a guarantee that they won’t bomb the airport or will bomb the airport.”
IFALPA represents pilot associations in countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait and Lebanon. Major Gulf carriers in the UAE and Qatar are not unionised, yet flights continue through designated corridors.
While most European airlines have suspended flights to the Middle East until at least 24 April, carriers in Dubai and Doha have continued operations. Gulf Air announced the reopening of its airspace last week.
Indian airlines are also maintaining routes despite concerns from their crews. Air India pilots, who are members of IFALPA, have described the airline’s continued operations as a “grave concern” and urged the authorities to suspend flights until a centralised risk assessment has been carried out.
