There is a growing risk of a passenger aircraft being shot down in Eastern Mediterranean airspace, an airline operations group has warned.
The Ops Group, part of the International Flight Operations group of pilots, airline managers, dispatchers and air traffic controllers, warned aircraft should avoid airspace immediately east of Cyprus.
The group monitors airspace for flight operations risks and publishes a weekly operations bulletin.
In a warning issued on September 21, the group noted Syria shot down a Russian transport aircraft on September 17 “over international waters, off the coast of Syria”.
It suggests a “two-fold” risk: “Misidentification of your aircraft as a military one and an errant missile launched at another aircraft that locks on to you instead”.
The Ops Group noted “a strong parallel” to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH 17 over Ukraine in 2014, when 14 military aircraft were shot down in the lead up to the disaster.
It reported nine military aircraft have been shot down over or near Syria so far this year.
The group warned: “This event significantly changes the risk picture for civil aircraft operating in the vicinity of Syria.
“There is a clear risk to civil aircraft [in the region]. In simple terms, if you find yourself planned [to fly] over water east of Cyprus, reconsider your route.”
It noted: “At present (September 21), there are no specific warnings from the authorities.”
But the group said: “A tell-tale pointer to change in risk is when major airlines reroute. That is happening.”