International Airport Review
Gabriel Higgins
21 August 2026
As geopolitical tensions intensify, airports are adapting to sustained disruption, reshaping operations, network connectivity and security strategies in an era where instability is no longer episodic.
Airports and the aviation industry at large depend on an interconnected world. Geopolitical stability is fundamental for bilateral agreements, overflight rights, airport growth, and providing passengers with ample choice of safe destinations.
The airport sector is no stranger to turbulence. Episodic crises such as the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, the 2003 SARS outbreak, the Persian Gulf war, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2007 recession emphasised the variety of challenges that the industry could face.
However, it seems geopolitical volatility has become the new norm with near-permanent disruption. Across the globe, conflicts have been on the rise in recent years. According to research by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University, conflicts are now at their highest level since the Second World War...
