The US aviation authority has widened its overfly warnings to eastern Ukraine, Kenya and Ethiopia as countries around the world reassess flight operations over war zones in the wake of the loss of MH17.
The Federal Aviation Administration now list 14 countries with bans or partial warnings for commercial aircraft.
Two with the highest risk are Afghanistan and Iraq which lie in the path of many flights between Asia and Europe.
According to the FAA “due to ongoing military operations and insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, the FAA warns that civil aircraft could be damaged by small-arms fire, rocket fire or attacks using man-portable air defense systems.”
However there is no evidence yet that insurgents have missile systems capable of bring down a high flying aircraft at 11,000m.
Iraq has returned to the hot spot status and the FAA prohibits flight operations at or below 6,700m due to the threat of shorter range missiles and small arms fire.
For Syria the FAA states that it discourages flight operations over Syria, saying, “no part of Syria should be considered immune from violence.”
US authorities have also warned about Libya and say that it prohibits flight operations within the Tripoli Flight Information Region, which includes small northern sections of Niger and Chad in addition to Libya.
Ethiopia has also made the banned list with the FAA warning that flight operations are prohibited in northern Ethiopian airspace.
It also cautions that Ethiopian forces may fire upon aircraft crossing into Ethiopian airspace from northeastern Kenya.
On Kenya the FAA adds that “recent, credible information indicates a potential near-term terrorist attack against US and Western interests in Kenya,” warning against attacks using Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS).
While not on the FAA banned list Nigeria and the Central African Republic, are listed as war zones with ongoing conflicts.
Other Africa countries where conflicts rage are South Sudan, Mali and Yemen.
And the deteriorating situation in Egypt has led the FAA to ban flights below 8,000m over the Egypt Sinai Peninsula.
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