Global aviation system tested by Belarus jetliner diversion

Global aviation faces its biggest political crisis in years after Belarus scrambled a fighter and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to detain a dissident journalist, prompting US and European outrage. read more Some European airlines immediately began avoiding Belarus airspace, a key corridor between western Europe and Moscow and route for long-haul flights between western Europe and Asia. "We, like all the European airlines are looking for guidance today from the European authorities and from NATO," Ryanair CE Michael O'Leary told Ireland's Newstalk radio. Others, including Chinese and Turkish carriers, continued to fly over Belarus, which charges euro-denominated fees to use its airspace. Each flight brings Minsk revenue equivalent to some $500, adding up to millions each year, a Belarus official said. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it had notified its 31 member states about the incident and an airline source said the agency had recommended "caution" over Belarus. Aviation experts said a decades-old system of cooperation now faces a crucial test under the glare of East-West tensions. The UN's ICAO said the incident may have contravened a core aviation treaty: part of the international order created after World War Two.<br/>