Tonight I was reading about how air traffic is becoming a real nightmare these days. The situation in the Middle East is truly critical and is causing problems that go far beyond that region.

Last Thursday, Iran launched drones at Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, and the immediate result was: southern Azerbaijani airspace was closed. If you look at the data on Flightradar24, you can clearly see a crazy congestion — practically 100 kilometers of flight area blocked in the northern part of the country. This is no small matter.

The point is that international air traffic was already in crisis since Russia invaded Ukraine. Western airlines had to completely avoid Russian airspace. Now, with the situation in the Middle East worsening, pilots also have to dodge Iran and Iraq. Imagine planning a route from London to Tokyo: you can’t pass through the north or the south, you’re forced to take even longer, more congested alternative routes.

The consequence is obvious: air traffic is experiencing enormous compression. Flights take longer routes, it takes more time, and consumes more fuel. For those working in logistics or traveling frequently, this means higher costs and chronic delays. It’s one of those situations where geopolitics directly impacts your wallet.