A United 737 waiting takeoff clearance at Bozeman-Yellowstone Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Although international regulations have been developed to simplify the rules of international air transport, each country around the world maintains its own unique legislation for flight permits. From overflying to landing, each nation, and sometimes each airport, has its own particular rules.
A flight plan is not complete if the operator of the aircraft does not have the needed permission to overfly the areas comprehended on the plan, for instance. And in a planet with so many tensions between neighboring countries, it is never a good idea to enter into restricted air space without due permission.
However, the focus for aircraft operators is not solely with obtaining flight permission. As everything in the air industry, it takes money to overfly a country, with some countries heavily taxing their own skies. Hence, it is important for the operator to be sure the planned route is the most efficient possible in terms of not just fuel, but airspace taxes as well.
Some countries even turned overflying into a big business and an international relations tool, due to their massive territory. For instance, after the sanctions Western nations applied on Russia following the Crimea crisis, Russia threatened to restrict its overflight rights to foreign aircrafts. Because of its continental dimension, Russian airspace is vital for long-haul operations between Europe and Asia. If this were to be restricted, airlines would have to waste millions of dollars operating the longer routes needed by avoiding the Russian airspace.
This is just an example to show that, in a world of nearly 200 independent nations, flight permits are much more complicated than they seem at first sight. It is an alive science, with daily-changing regulations.
To simplify this process, there are companies that centralize and manage the obtaining process of flight permits, such as Flightworx. Utilizing direct relations with aviation authorities of multiple countries, the company unravels the complex machinations of flight planning, including the attainment of these permissions, bringing tranquility from the smallest of private aircraft operators to the biggest international airlines.
With aviation being a heavily bureaucratized industry, it is all the more important to have a flight permit partner you can rely on to face these challenges head on. And while this whole process may seem difficult, lengthy and complex, as well as seemingly unnoticeable for your average passenger, it is this kind of know-how that makes flying simple and cost-effective.
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