Russia Says It Will Launch Missile Over Busy Atlantic Flight Corridor: Airlines Are Told To Prepare For Disruption

Aviation regulators are warning that there could be massive disruption to what is often described as a “giant highway in the sky” that connects North America and Europe because Russia plans to launch a missile that might fall in one of the world’s busiest flight paths.

Airlines warned about Russian missile launch

Russia’s national space agency ROSCOSMOS has told European and North American aviation regulators that it plans to conduct a missile launch on Sunday, and, based on current projections, the missile could splash down in the mid-North Atlantic.

The so-called ‘drop-down’ area of this Russian missile is within what is known as the Gander ‘Flight Information Region’ or FIR for short. For context, the Gander FIR forms an important part of the North Atlantic Tracks that airliners use to fly between North America and Europe.

Because much of the North Atlantic does not have radar coverage, the North Atlantic Tracks were created to ensure proper separation of aircraft and the efficiency of operations, given that the airspace is so congested.

Think of it as a freeway in the sky, with published flight routes that pilots must follow to ensure safety. Unlike a normal road, however, the North Atlantic Tracks change based on the prevailing winds.

In a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) message, pilots have been warned of a rocket hazard area right in the mid-North Atlantic NAT track region between December 28 and December 30 that could require diversion to prevent an accident.

The NOTAM reads:

AIRSPACE RESERVATION: LINE:4800N 03000W - 5500N 03000W
REF ROCKET HAZARD AREA IN GANDER. FLW SEPARATIONS WILL BE PROVIDED
WITHIN OCEANIC AIRSPACE: MNPS/NAT HIGH LEVEL AIRSPACE(HLA) 30NM,
NON-MNPS/NAT HLA 60NM.

Flights were forced to make huge detours in September

This isn’t the first time in recent months that Russia has carried out missile launches that have impacted civilian airliners. In September, some planes flying across the Pacific were forced to make huge diversions due to a 68,000 square mile rocket hazard zone that sat within normally busy flight tracks.

For context, the rocket hazard zone covered an area roughly the same size as Washington state or England and Wales.

The busy Oceanic corridor that was affected in this seperate missile test is used by numerous airlines flying between Asia and the United States, forcing many airlines to make 300+ mile detours around the restricted area.

Pilots need special qualification to fly across the Atlantic Ocean

Given the unique operating environment over the North Atlantic, pilots are required to obtain a special qualification to be allowed to fly between North America and Europe.

The qualification covers the requirements of following the North Atlantic Tracks, operating in a non-radar environment, learning suitable diversion points, and HF voice procedures.

In preparation for the start of American Airlines operating Airbus A321XLR single-aisle aircraft across the North Atlantic for the first time next year, the carrier had to operate empty flights to and from Edinburgh so that it could train pilots who were normally accustomed to flying domestic routes with very different procedures.

In September, American Airlines operated 42 empty flights between Philadelphia and Edinburgh just to train the ‘check pilots’ who will, in turn, train the base pilots who will be operating North Atlantic flights on the A321XLR next year.