Citing the heightened military activity with active conflict zones in Tehran, Iran; Beirut, Lebanon; and Tel Aviv, Israel, the regulator said all pilots and airlines should conduct thorough risk assessments for flights over or near these areas.
CAAM’s CEO, Norazman Mahmud, said airlines should conduct detailed assessments on the safety and security risks of the relevant airspace despite the absence of foreign airspace restrictions.
“The presence of all-altitude-capable cruise and ballistic missiles, combined with air assets operating at various altitudes, heightens the risk of misidentification and miscalculation.
“Furthermore, the deployment of cruise missiles and military-grade weaponised drones raises additional safety concerns for airspace in the region. Given the lack of available mitigation measures against such threats, a systematic approach to risk assessment is therefore crucial,” he said in a notice sighted by FMT.
Norazman said it would be prudent to anticipate additional closures in adjacent airspaces as the situation in the region continues to develop.
On Tuesday, Iran fired waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, just hours after Israel launched what it called a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon, according to media reports.
The developments follow Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday, that targeted and killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Norazman urged air operators to establish contingency plans when flying through the Middle East and to closely follow the relevant air traffic control’s instructions and guidance.
He also said airlines should plan to include additional fuel for in-flight diversions out of conflict areas, in preparation for the possibility of taking off from affected zones without refuelling.
“Alternate communication and navigation methodologies to account for the potential of conflict-associated jamming or electric interference that disrupts normal aircraft communications and navigation must be taken into account,” he said.