May 15 / Rebecca Lougheed

The Real Pilot Role Part II

The Gap in our Awareness

We have talked about how the pilot role is a lot more (or rather, requires a lot more) than just knowing how to push buttons. SOPs are more than just compliance lists, and learning and development takes more than just a few manoeuvres being trained and ticked off. So what else does the role involve which we might not discover in our basic training, and which knowing about will help us becoming a (better) pilot?

We need to know more than just how to route from A to B

On December 29th 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was shot down. This event rather terrifyingly means missile strikes have now become the leading cause of death for airline passengers in recent years. Yup, you might want to read that statement again because it is a fairly shocking one!

So what are we doing about it?

Well, the industry is doing a lot, as are states and governments, authorities and everyone else. But this post is about what we, as pilots, can do, because when we get in our aircraft and plug in our route from A to B, we should be considering a lot more than just how much fuel we need.

Understanding where that route takes us, what the potential risks are, and most importantly, having some contingency plans in place, could be critical!

This might seem like a really specific topic to bring up, particularly if you’re a short haul pilot but then again… read that statement above and think about whether or not you’re really aware of where these conflict zones are in relation to your routes, and about what some of the potential impacts might be. And if you’re still not convinced, then read it a third time and focus on the bit about how missile strikes are currently the leading cause of deaths on commercial flights…

Where to find the information

First up, knowing where can you actually find more information on conflict zones is critical. One of the best spots for aviation related info on conflict zones is found on the EASA CZIBs site (that’s conflict zones information bulletins). These list the current countries which have restrictions in their airspace due to conflict zones, and it provides some background to these, what the risks are, and the guidance from major states (UK, USA, Germany, France etc).

The information from these, when relevant to you, should also be published in your briefing packs. You probably barely spend a second reading over these - and why would you? Reading through how you aren’t allowed to fly in Sudanese airspace, while preparing for a trip between Europe and the USA is a waste of time… and you probably have 100 pages of other NOTAMs to trawl through...

But for those flights when you will be transiting over, or close to, conflict zones airspace, prior understanding of the situations from these NOTAMs and CZIBs is critical. But that also still isn’t enough…

What should we be thinking about?

CZIBs, along with ICAO Doc 10084, focus a lot on the primary (and very major risks) of conflict zones, and these are fairly obvious - intentional or inadvertent shoot downs by actors in the conflicts. Airspace which has an extremely high risk of this because of capability and intent of non government actors, lack of mitigation measures by governments, lack of training of the military involved etc are given a ‘no fly’ restriction. In other words, you just can’t go in. Syria, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan are all countries where the conflict presents such a high risk to operations that entry into these airspaces is prohibited.

But then you have countries like Iran and Iraq, Afghanistan, regions of Africa including Mali where there are major conflicts occurring, and there are restrictions in place, but these still allow overflights. Generally, the restrictions state no flight below a specific flight level or altitude, because that has been deemed “safe enough” after a review of the intent and capability (ie what weapons they have and what they generally plan to do with them) of involved groups.

OK, great, zoom over Afghanistan above FL320 and all will be well? Well, not necessarily. The reason for the FL320 that is mentioned is because, in general, militants and the like only have access to lower level weapons such as rockets and mortars. So, in general, being up high will keep you out of reach.

So what if you HAVE to descend?

If we experience a rapid decompression, an engine failure, smoke onboard etc then we are going to want to head down, and we are going to want to do it fairly rapidly, so simply heading over Afghan airspace with a plan not to ever go below 32,000 feet might not work out so well for us. We need to ensure we have a plan for if we must, and these contingency plans require a level of awareness of what the situation is regarding these conflict zones.

It is not just going down that represents a risk though. Operations in the vicinity of conflict zones require thought as well. Spillover risks from stray weapons, military traffic, congested airways, lack of diversion options, damage to infrastructure, loss of air traffic services, sudden airspace closures, GPS interference are just some of the additional considerations which pilots may need to think about, and which they should be doing in advance.

And again, this can only be done productively and proactively if you have an awareness and understanding of the situation taking place on the ground. Knowing what options are available and having a plan on how to get there, what the fuel penalty will be and how to manage this, how to deal with GPS interference and what it might mean for the approach, what support and services (or additional safety and security risks) might be discovered on the ground are just some of these things to consider.

This is what ‘thinking like an airline pilot’ involves.

Where it all started

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, a Boeing 777, was en-route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. The flight was operating in airspace that was technically open at the time, albeit over a region with known military activity and where several military aircraft had been shot down in the preceding weeks.

So why was the risk not known?

Well, this was the main question which the investigation asked, and from it large changes to how conflict zone information is shared, how the risk is assessed, and the responsibilities placed on states, authorities and operators has increased. But over a decade later and we have seen another tragedy occur because of this.

As pilots, we aren’t generally involved in the risk assessment, but we should very much be involved in the mitigation and contingency side of things and not just flying blindly from A to B without consideration of what we might need to do if…

Build YOUR awareness

Conflict zones are not just a political issue—they are a real operational risk that pilots must take seriously. History has shown that blindly following open airspace routes can have tragic consequences, and that secondary risks like forced diversion and GPS interference can create unforeseen challenges,

Ultimately, being a great pilot isn’t just about handling the aircraft—it’s about thinking ahead, assessing risks, and making smart decisions before they become emergencies. So next time you check your route briefing, don’t just skim over the notices on airspace restrictions—take a moment to consider the bigger picture.

This is our Real Pilot Role Tip #2: Build up your understanding and awareness of where these regions are, what the risks are, and what contingencies might be available to you.

- Just because an airspace is open does not mean it is safe
- Be aware of who is involved in the conflict—not all threats are limited to low altitudes.
- Proactively stay informed about conflict zones, even when no official warnings exist.

How the OPC can help

Our Operational Procedures Course is designed to expand your knowledge and understanding of key topics, like this one, so you can build up the foundations you need to excel in the airline pilot role.