Perilous Skies: Why Planes Steer Clear of This Area in Asia

A year ago, a user on Reddit asked this question: “Why don't planes fly over Tibet ?” using a screenshot of the application FlightRadar. Is this a cursed area that only the most experienced pilots risk flying over? Is the area prohibited from overflight by the authorities? Or is it a technique to avoid the Abominable Snowman also known as Yeti?

None of that. Indeed, to explain why planes do not fly over Tibet, there are three reasons, as specified on the site Simple Flying.

1. The Tibetan Plateau is very high in altitude

On average the Tibetan plateau rises to almost 5000 meters. This is less than the more than 8,000 meters of Everest and even less than the cruising altitude of an airplane which is approximately between 9,000 and 12,000 meters above sea level.

However, in very rare cases, aircraft can suffer accidents related to cabin depressurization. This is when the air pressure in the plane drops suddenly and oxygen levels become very low. Before takeoff, the flight attendants show you how to remedy this problem using oxygen masks.

In such cases, pilots can initiate a descent of the aircraft to a level where the air outside the cabin is easily breathable. Typically, the average altitude where this is possible is around 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet). In fact, the relatively high altitude of the Tibetan plateau would prevent planes from being able to descend safely to counter the depressurization accident.

2. Airplane fuel can freeze

This is obviously not inherent to Tibet. The higher you go in the sky, the lower the temperature. However, the region's very cold temperatures increase the risk that fuel will freeze mid-flight.

Indeed, according to TotalEnergies, the fuel mainly used to power planes is kerosene known as JET A-1. The latter has a freezing point estimated at -47°C. In flight and at cruising altitude, an airplane flies between 9,000 and 12,000 meters above sea level. At this height, the air temperature is on average -56.5°C.

Of course, the tanks are protected from outside temperatures so that the fuel cannot freeze. But zero risk does not exist and an accident in a plane is very often fatal.

Because if the kerosene were to freeze, small balls would form, obstructing the engine which could not be supplied with fuel, therefore causing the engine(s) to stop in mid-flight at 12 kilometers altitude. We don't draw you a drawing to explain to you that it's dangerous.

3. To avoid turbulence

This last reason mainly concerns passenger comfort. And it's true that a flight without turbulence is more pleasant than a trip where the cabin shakes constantly. And when flying over mountains, where air currents can be violent, turbulence can be just as violent.

So obviously, if planes risk flying over the highest mountain range in the world, the turbulence would be even greater. In fact, for all these reasons, very few airlines risk flying over Tibet. You can see it yourself by going to FlightRadar and thus observe that the region is an area deserted by planes.

Source : Simple Flying