Why planes don't fly over these locations | Secret Revealed

Every passing second, around 9,500 commercial planes are flying in the sky across the world. If you look at a live plane tracker, the entire world map appears filled with planes like flies. However, there are also some spots on the world map where not even a single plane can be seen. It seems as if planes intentionally avoid these areas—and in reality, that is true.

In today’s video, let’s find out which airspaces in the world pilots avoid flying over and the reasons behind it.

6. Tibetan Plateau

There are very few land areas in the world as large as the Tibetan Plateau that pilots avoid flying over. It covers about 2.5 million square kilometers and is shared by nine countries.

This region could be an important route connecting China directly with Europe and the Middle East, but if you check live plane trackers, you will notice that planes usually bypass this entire area.

The main reason is the extremely high mountain ranges that start in China and extend through Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. The average mountain height here is about 14,000 feet, while commercial planes usually fly at around 35,000 feet.

Although planes normally fly much higher than these mountains, in case of an emergency—such as cabin pressure loss or engine failure—oxygen masks drop automatically, and the pilot has only about 20 minutes to descend from 35,000 feet to around 10,000 feet.

But since the average ground elevation of the Tibetan Plateau is already about 14,000 feet, descending to a safe altitude becomes extremely difficult. Additionally, the region experiences unusual turbulence because winds collide with the mountains and move upward, disturbing the aircraft’s balance.

5. Volcanoes

In January 2022, an underwater volcano erupted near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean. The smoke and ash cloud created by this eruption was so massive that it broke many historical records and was clearly captured by satellites.

The ash clouds rose to tens of thousands of feet, which can be extremely dangerous for aircraft.

Volcanic ash can damage airplane windshields and engines. For example, on June 24, 1982, a flight traveling from London to New Zealand accidentally flew through a volcanic ash cloud.

At first, passengers thought the smoke inside the cabin might be from people smoking, since smoking on airplanes was allowed at that time. But soon the crew smelled sulfur, realizing something was wrong.

Volcanic ash had melted inside the engines, causing all the engines to fail. The plane started losing altitude rapidly. Fortunately, when it descended from 37,000 feet to about 12,000 feet, three of the four engines restarted, and the plane landed safely.

After such incidents, pilots avoid flying near volcanic ash clouds.

4. Craters

Craters might look frightening, but they can be even more dangerous for aircraft flying above them.

There are about 178 impact craters on Earth, some natural and some created by mining companies. At high altitudes, they do not affect planes much, but flying at low altitudes above them can be dangerous.

Deep craters often have hot air rising from the bottom, while cool air moves downward, creating a vortex effect inside the crater. This can cause unusual turbulence and strong air currents that might affect aircraft or helicopters flying nearby. That’s why pilots often change their route when they encounter such areas.

3. North Korea

The airspace over North Korea is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. This is because the North Korean military sometimes launches missiles without prior notice.

They also frequently test missiles over the Sea of Japan. Normally, in such situations, authorities announce the launches in advance and warn nearby aircraft through radio communication.

However, due to the unpredictable nature of these tests, most commercial flights simply bypass North Korean airspace.

2. Mecca

The holy city of Masjid al‑Haram in Mecca is one of the most important religious places for Muslims.

Some people claim that no plane can fly over it because it is located at the center of the Earth’s gravity, but this claim is not true.

The real reason planes do not fly directly above it is that the Saudi government has declared it a no-fly zone.

There are two main reasons:

Security – Millions of Muslims gather there at any time, so any accident could cause massive casualties.

Location – Mecca is surrounded by mountains. Aircraft engine noise could echo between the mountains and become louder, disturbing pilgrims.

This is also why Mecca does not have its own airport, as planes flying low during takeoff and landing would create significant noise pollution.

1. Area 51

Area 51 is a top-secret military base located in the U.S. state of Nevada, covering about 7,500 square kilometers.

It has long been surrounded by controversy, with many people believing that the U.S. military researches secret weapons and UFOs there.

The base is hidden among mountains and cannot easily be seen from the ground, but it could be visible from aircraft. To prevent this, authorities have declared the entire area a strict no-fly zone.

If any aircraft attempts to fly over it, the pilot is immediately ordered to change course. If they ignore the warning, the military even has the authority to shoot down the aircraft.