Missile-defence systems are too expensive for most airlines, so avoidance is the best option
THE SHOOTING-DOWN of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 over Iran on January 8th, killing 176 people, provoked outrage around the world—not least in Iran, where it triggered a new round of anti-government protests. Mixed with the grief and anger was disbelief that an international airline was willing—and allowed—to fly through a potential conflict zone.
Can more be done to protect airliners, whether from attacks by terrorists, carelessness or accidents in the fog of war? One step, particularly to protect against deliberate shooting-down, is to improve perimeter security around airports. Under normal conditions, incoming and departing aircraft fly low enough to be hit by a shoulder-fired missile for about 40km. That creates a zone of vulnerability of nearly 800 square kilometres, dwarfing the size of even sprawling airports such as Baghdad’s.
Sovereign states have sole legal responsibility for ensuring the safety of their airspace. But many are reluctant to admit to dangers that might tarnish their image or threaten revenues from overflight permits. A Dutch government report into MH17 noted: “Practice shows that states in which there is an ongoing armed conflict will not implement restrictions for their airspace on their own initiative.
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