EASA advises against flying over Saudi airspace and routes tighten

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a recommendation for airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, as reported by Preferente. On paper it is just advice. In practice it works like an order: flying against the authority's guidance leaves the carrier without insurance cover, and no operations director signs off on that.

The direct result is more flight time on Europe to Asia routes. Airlines that already had to skirt Russian airspace now add another detour, and long-haul legs stretch even further, with more fuel, more crew hours and schedule adjustments. For passengers it means different connections and, in some cases, higher fares.

My take: anyone with long-haul fleet and solid slot management can make the most of this new map. Alternative routes open room for southern European hubs and for connections that previously made no sense. The one who complains about the detour and doesn't redraw the network, that is the one who will really feel it in the P&L.