What easier target than an airline where the employees think they are not a target?

Since when were these guys selective or rationale in their ideology?

Due to the vast exposure we get in the media and the sporting world, I would say that makes us an even bigger target. If something sinister was to occur to a EK aircraft then it would reach the headlines across the globe, incredibly quickly. Isn't that what these crackpots want?

Add Basra to the list! Always used to sh1t myself going in there.

What about islamabad??

A couple days before the attack on Karachi a member of the ground staff told me he would rather live in Islamabad because it was much safer. This turned out to be a prescient, chilling statement considering several members of our ground staff were later killed there.

It is important to remember that EK has a "Duty of Care" for its staff.
A gentle reminder of such to the FDM or whomever is a useful argument in my experience.

Strange, no mention yet of today's 640 flight to Kabul that held to the east of the field while a rocket attack took place on the field. Diverted all the way back to DXB landing with not a lot of gas.

10 years ago I was scheduled to operate an A330 to Beijing just 2 days after a western chain hotel was blown up by terrorist with threats to target more westerners. I was concerned so went up to the second floor (Asain airline) and expressed it to the CP and another management pilot. Other management pilot was a good mate. CP waffled on about risk assessment, security precautions hotels were taking, what the airline was doing to protect crews etc etc. My mate the management pilot told me later that after I walked away the CP turned to him and said "d'ya reckon that bull**** fooled him?"

I guess it's not newsworthy as it's the poor buggers on the ground that will be hitting the headlines.

There was a SpiceJet 737 delayed a few hours due to a rocket attack on Friday (article below) and the EK machine was stuck on the ground too whilst the Taliban played with their fireworks. :eek:

SpiceJet Flight Escapes Rocket Attack in Kabul Airport - 4th July

The final line of that article is of particular interest:

Is SpiceJet gonna continue flying there after that incident?

Playing Russian Roulette in Ukraine
 

So no more Kiev route for the saddest of reasons. I can only assume there will be a restriction on Ukrainian airspace too.

Pilots try to anticipate threats using any available data, for safety's sake. Am I alone in thinking that considering the other large aircraft which have been shot down in Ukraine recently - the dangers of operating commercial airliners in this war zone were foreseeable?

It's the inevitability of it I find chilling. Is anyone actually in control and making decisions?

When you say to yourself now - 'commercial carriers have been operating passenger jets in an active civil war and were not deterred by two other large aircraft being shot down, they carried on despite that' - it sounds unforgivable.

And does anybody feel relaxed flying over Northern Iraq?

I don't.

Just a matter of time before BGW gets a suicide attack a la KHI, PEW, DAM, KBL etc

f.

Spice Jet cancels flights to Kabul. I think more airlines might follow the same.

SpiceJet cancels Kabul flights following spate of attacks at airport there - The Times of India

Has anybody actually expressed any concern to the company regarding this?

No need - Group Security keep a close eye on global developments...

I'm sure they do....

In my previous airline a whole bunch of guys are refusing to operate to TLV due to security concerns, and as it stands the company accepts refusal of duty due safety concerns. I wonder where we would stand if some of us refused to operate to places like KBL, EBL, BGW etc, the list is long.

Same goes for our colleagues in FZ, who fly to even lesss secure destinations.

The issue here is about acting in developing situations and the prioritisation of commercial vs safety interests, where they conflict.

Since the Ukraine civil war started, an Il-76 has been shot down, so has an An-22 and a helicopter - the latest of several fast jets to be shot down happened on the morning of the 777 disaster. The airspace closure of Simferopol and even the official closure of Simferopol airfield itself was done extremely slowly, despite there being a Russian invasion. To say there have been indicators that this place is dangerous would be a statement of the obvious.

One thing is sure - ALL other carriers who have been treating East Ukraine airspace as a normal day out have dodged a bullet and will be breathing a massive sigh of relief (in private). Malaysian have not been so fortunate, but it could have happened to any carrier who chose to continue using that airspace.

I expect there will be lawsuits from passengers dependents. The press could properly spin this story and not just against Malaysian, they could question the industry as a whole. Some risks are accepted as part of aviation, but knowingly flying through a war zone to save fuel or access a destination is entirely at the discretion of the airline..

Bangkok
 

As I live here I can calm down your fears.

The military coup has put a swift end to political violence.

Bangkok is back to normal - as far as this city can be.

Anyone needing more info please PM.

Anyone notice how that sly dog Dubya slipped his initials into the airport designator before he left.....??

Bush, George Dubya

Must be nice for him to have such a vivid reminder of all his good work in that neck of the woods :ok: