Restoring global connectivity when aviation corridors shut down

When key aviation corridors shut down, 24/7 coordination across the industry helps restore global connectivity, including through aircraft charters.

As The Guardian recently reported, nearly 300,000 passengers move through major airline hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar every day. Around two-thirds are in transit between countries. Since 28 February, disruptions to airspace and airport operations across parts of the Gulf have had immediate global consequences: travellers have been stranded not only in the region, but across continents, cut off mid-journey from their final destinations.

While the aviation ecosystem cannot currently provide relief for those in the immediate conflict zones, a different kind of response has unfolded behind the scenes. Across the industry, airlines, authorities and specialised teams have mobilised at remarkable speed to rebuild connectivity through aircraft charters: one flight at a time.

Over the past weeks, our expert team at Pro Sky has been part of these efforts, working with partners to organise ad hoc flight operations from Colombo, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh, Male, Mauritius, and Muscat. These missions were supported by colleagues across Germany, France and Brazil, with team members on site in Dubai and Riyadh to coordinate operations locally. 

What does this actually look like in practice?

It starts with time pressure.

Many requests came in over the weekend, with contracts signed within hours and flights departing 24 to 72 hours later. From the moment of confirmation, operations effectively ran non-stop.

“Working hours? Non-stop – with a bit of sleep in between.”

Behind that simple statement lies a highly compressed operational process. Aircraft and crew availability must be secured, and traffic rights as well as overflight and landing permits must be obtained. At the same time, teams coordinate slots, ground handling, crew rotations, and compliance with safety and insurance constraints. One airline pre-positioned crews at international airports ahead of the operation, enabling the earliest possible departures while remaining fully compliant with flight duty time limitations. Several European embassies played a key role, supporting the granting of permits through diplomatic channels.

In one operation, even after permits were secured, uncertainty remained until the very last moment:

“Would the aircraft be able to depart within the insurer’s restrictions? What if check-in delays meant we missed the departure window before sunset?”

These are not theoretical risks. In constrained environments, a delay of minutes can determine whether a flight operates or not. Access and coordination can vary dramatically by location.   

Operational visibility presented another layer of complexity. Publicly available aircraft tracking based on ADS-B receiver networks, which rely on a global network of ground-based receivers, became less reliable in certain regions, limiting real-time visibility of aircraft positions and timings.

Despite these constraints, solutions were delivered. Ultimately, their impact is measured by the outcomes for travellers and the companies they rely on. As one client noted following a recent operation:

“We achieved what almost seemed impossible last week. Thanks to your commitment and professionalism in planning and executing complex ad hoc charter flights, we were able to transport nearly 100% of our guests — and even support other tour operators with available capacity.”

This was made possible through close collaboration across the industry. We would like to thank FLY4, French Bee, Plus Ultra and Smartwings for their flexibility and commitment in enabling these operations under exceptional circumstances.

Wishing everyone affected safety during this challenging time.