Flying Over Libya
Feb 25, 2011 | 1:25 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: Flying Blue Silver
Posts: 49
Flying Over Libya
Is it safe to overfly Libya comercial?
I fly often from Amsterdam to East Africa and notice the flightpath goes straight over Tripoli, does KLM detour to stay away from danger?
sorry if wrong forum
I fly often from Amsterdam to East Africa and notice the flightpath goes straight over Tripoli, does KLM detour to stay away from danger?
sorry if wrong forum
Feb 25, 2011 | 2:27 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,443
I've quite often been on commercial flights with reputable airlines that have flown over territories that I'd have thought might be best avoided. At first I used to be nervous about this, but I can only assume that airlines like KLM, Qantas, BA, Singapore and so on know what they're doing in this regard and as noted above wouldn't take a route if it was not safe.
Feb 25, 2011 | 2:55 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Any major airline stands to lose billions of dollars (equipment loss plus lawsuits, fines, and bad publicity) on a fatal crash caused by negligence. Every flight is therefore essentially a multibillion-dollar wager that they'll get you to your destination safely. I'm happy to take those odds. But if you've already made up your mind that it's dangerous, why'd you ask us?
Feb 25, 2011 | 3:51 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,235
If you don't want to fly over Libya, don't fly over Libya. You could fly via the Gulf or Spain or something.
Feb 25, 2011 | 6:49 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: Flying Blue Silver
Posts: 49
If you don't want to fly over Libya, don't fly over Libya. You could fly via the Gulf or Spain or something.
Feb 25, 2011 | 7:31 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Standard Operating Procedure is to not fly into dangerous territory. If they're flying over it, it's safe.
Feb 26, 2011 | 2:51 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,512
Mar 6, 2011 | 7:04 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: Flying Blue Silver
Posts: 49
We flew East over Egypt instead, it appears all aircraft to Southern Africa arent flying over Libya
Mar 6, 2011 | 11:24 am
#15
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
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Posts: 8,179
Do you know why your flight took that route? Flight paths can vary from day to day for any number of reasons: winds aloft, ATC congestion, and so on. And, if the reason your flight avoided Libyan airspace was because of a safety concern (which simply could be because Libya is unable to provide reliable Air Traffic Control services amongst the chaos there), then this only confirms what everyone has been saying on this thread: your airline will automatically choose a safe path for every flight, and route around genuine problems.