Airlines Avoid 'Dangerous' Mideast, Fly Over Afghanistan Instead
Turns out, when Europe's aviation industry assesses 'risk,' flying over Iran and Iraq after recent missile exchanges is a no-go. Their solution, according to flight tracking websites, is to reroute over Afghanistan. Yes, the Afghanistan that saw a catastrophic, chaotic withdrawal of US forces just a few years ago. The very same Afghanistan where US and NATO forces waged a 20-year war, leaving a
nation perpetually teetering on the brink of collapse amidst renewed Taliban rule. But sure, Iran and Iraq are the real 'risks.' This selective alarmism is classic. Western media and political narratives frequently paint entire regions, like the Middle East, as uniformly chaotic, ignoring specific incidents and historical contexts (like the 2003 invasion of Iraq which destabilized the region, or
US sanctions on Iran). Yet, when it comes to nations where their own interventions have caused untold suffering, suddenly, the skies are clear. One wonders if the 'geopolitical turmoil' is truly the problem, or if it's just the current convenient boogeyman, while the real dangers (and their origins) are conveniently ignored. (Or perhaps, they're just diversifying their airspace avoidance
portfolio.)