It isn’t just Syrians who are worried about a potential strike on their country—especially those who live close to military bases. Airlines are also creating contingency plans and preparing for the worst.

Military activity won’t hit commercial airliners. It does, however, affect airspace in the Middle East for long-haul flights that have normal flights patterns in Syrian airspace or nearby. Emirates, the world’s second largest airline (behind United) stopped flights to Damascus last fall. Now, the company says it has redrawn existing flights to ensure safety around potential missiles that may fly. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has done the same. A spokesperson for British Airways says that it, too, would be affected, considering