Crash Course
What recent plane crashes reveal about global politics.
The skies are beginning to feel less safe. In just the past few months, a string of aviation disasters has dominated headlines – from the midair collision between an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter earlier this month to a Delta aircraft flipping upside down just last week. At first glance, these crashes seem to be isolated disasters, unfortunate but random. However, upon a closer look, a pattern starts to emerge, revealing a world order that’s growing more dangerous.
Each of these incidences tells a story, not just of mechanical failure, but of geopolitics in motion. Modern conflicts and power struggles are unfolding 30,000 feet above ground, and with every new crash, it becomes more apparent that we are flying in an increasingly unstable world.
Consider flight J2-8243, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crash-landed in Kazakhstan on December 25th, killing 38 people. While Russian state media initially attributed the crash to a bird strike, other reports suggested that Russian air defences mistakenly shot it down. The incident sent shockwaves through the region, further straining Russia’s already tense relations with Azerbaijan. Whether it was another accident in a growing proxy conflict or a more deliberate show of power, this crash forces us to rethink the neutrality of flying, serving as a stark reminder that airspace is no longer just a transit zone, but also a battleground.
A month earlier, a DHL cargo plane went down near Vilnius Airport in Lithuania. At first, it was dismissed as an accident likely owing to human or mechanical error. But soon after, speculation of sabotage began to surface. Germany’s foreign minister even raised the possibility that the crash may have been a deliberate act amid escalating tensions between Russia and its NATO allies. In a world where the boundaries of international law are growing murkier, the idea of targeting aircraft is no longer as far-fetched as it once seemed.
Even beyond conflict-laden zones, political decisions are exacerbating the risks of flying. In the US, the newly elected Trump administration has fired hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, including key safety inspectors. Meanwhile, Boeing is still grappling with a deepening safety and quality control crisis, raising concerns that cost-cutting has taken precedence over passenger safety.
The recent door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing aircraft is yet another example of what happens when corporate shortcuts trump quality control (no pun intended). When profits are prioritized over safety, passengers are left facing the inevitable consequences.
If these recent crashes reveal anything, it’s that modern air travel is about more than just getting from one place to another; it is about navigating a turbulent global landscape. The combination of weakened safety regulations, growing geopolitical tensions, and governments operating with impunity is reshaping the reality of air travel, making the sky more unpredictable than ever.
As these disasters continue to make headlines, we must not only acknowledge the tragedies themselves but also recognise what they reveal about the fundamental weaknesses in our global safety and state of the world at the time.