'The Worst It’s Ever Been': IATA Chief Warns of Global Airspace Challenges – Exclusive
Photo Credit: IATA Director General Willie Walsh speaking at the Skift Aviation Forum 2024. Skift
Skift Take
Global airspace is under pressure like never before. IATA chief Willie Walsh says airlines are adapting — but they need all available information to make the right calls in an increasingly complex world.
The world’s commercial airspace is under more strain than ever, with airlines having to adapt to an ever-shifting map of viable flight paths. In an exclusive interview with Skift, Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the problem is “the worst it’s ever been."
While the underlying problems are nothing new, Walsh suggested that the scale and complexity of the situation are without precedent.
“We've had to deal with this for years. You see shifting traffic flows depending on what part of the airspace is now closed to operations. It's much more difficult today than it was 20 years ago, and it seems to be only getting more difficult rather than less,” said the IATA chief.
Walsh was speaking to Skift ahead of the IATA Annual General Meeting which starts in Delhi on Sunday.
Earlier this month, rising tensions between India and Pakistan forced local and international carriers to cancel flights and others were diverted. Recent operational challenges at Newark have also disrupted schedules.
A Complex Patchwork of Factors
While geopolitical flashpoints and air traffic control bottlenecks grab the headlines, there are other issues: Economics and disparities around regulations and access all factor into what routes airlines can operate.
Despite these challenges, the IATA chief said airlines have become more agile.
“It’s been a positive for the industry that we’ve been able to adapt quickly to that changing environment. We’re now used to reevaluating other opportunities,” said Walsh, who was a professional pilot before entering airline management.
That balancing act, however, has grown more complex. “The risk isn't the same for every airline,” Walsh said. “It can depend on the aircraft you're operating, the geopolitical context, your crew's experience, or the other routing options you have."
A prominent example is Russian airspace, which remains closed to many Western carriers following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However many other airlines — including major operators from China and the Middle East — continue to fly over the country to serve Europe and North America.
Skift has reported extensively on the challenges faced by European airlines serving East Asia. Flag carriers including Lufthansa, British Airways, and Finnair have all pared back frequencies to the region. Long diversionary routes to avoid Russian airspace have been a critical factor.
The divide has real commercial consequences. In October, Virgin Atlantic withdrew from China after 25 years. Traveling westbound, Virgin’s advertised journey time between Shanghai and London was 14 hours and 20 minutes. Chinese airlines can operate the same route in under 12 hours by flying over Russia.
Complexities Overflying Russia
Walsh told Skift he is optimistic for a peace deal in Ukraine, but cautioned that a reopening of Russian airspace may not be straightforward. Western sanctions have left Russia short on aircraft parts — a risk not just for its own carriers, but for any airline that may need to divert there.
“If we see peace and Russian airspace is open to all carriers, I think there are a number of airlines that will be able to move quickly [to resume overflights], but supply chain issues would impact some,” said Walsh.
“Every airline would need to undertake its own risk assessment, with one of the things to consider is if you're flying through Russian airspace and you have to divert into a Russian airport where there are no spare parts available, what are you going to do? So it's not just about the airspace reopening. There's a lot of other things you need to think about, but I think the industry would move quickly.”
Walsh emphasized that decisions to use airspace should be made by individual carriers rather than by governments or regulators.
He believes that airlines are well-equipped to make those calls – as long as they’re given full access to available intelligence: “Airlines are experts in dealing with these issues. The critical issue is to make sure airlines have all of the information — that it’s not being withheld when conducting their risk assessment.”
To hear more of Skift's interview with Willie Walsh, listen to the latest episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge podcast.
The IATA AGM will take place in Delhi on June 1-3. Skift will be attending the event and have insights and perspectives from airline industry leaders.
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