Noting Threat of Missile Strikes, Airlines Clear Skies Over Syria

Airlines are avoiding Syrian airspace as the US and other Western powers consider their response to a suspected chemical attack near Damascus last weekend. The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an alert Tuesday, prompting a number of airlines to steer away from the country’s airspace. “Due to the possible launch of airstrikes into Syria,” the agency said, “due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations.” The alert cited the possible use of air-to-ground and cruise missiles and the likely disruption of radio navigation equipment. The agency’s alert was transmitted by a system called Eurocontrol, which acts as the air traffic controller for the Continent. A spokesman for Eurocontrol said Thursday that the warning was not mandatory. “The notification was more of advice to the airlines, rather than instructions,” said the spokesman. Many airlines decided not to take any chances. On Thursday, the sky over Syria was largely empty of commercial aircraft, creating a conspicuous hole in the otherwise busy airspace of the Middle East. FAA rules already prohibited American airlines from flying over Syria, but carriers outside Europe also reacted to the Eurocontrol warning.<br/>