Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX
SpaceX rocket re-entry to Earth disrupts flights over the Indian Ocean. Unpredictability and last-minute changes to the calendar caused 6-hour delays on flights between Sydney and Johannesburg.
Elon Musk has been in the news for several reasons, especially for his , not only in the United States, but also in Europe, where he recently declared his support for the German far right, with the AfD party at the helm.
In recent times, the Earth seems to revolve around the tycoon, whose investments also disturb the sky.
The re-entries of a SpaceX rocket into the Earth’s atmosphere recently caused flight delays over the southern Indian Ocean, affecting major airlines such as Qantas and South African Airways.
Australia’s largest airline, Qantas, urged the billionaire-led company to provide more accurate information about the timing and location of these events in order to minimize disruption.
Qantas registered delays of up to six hours on flights between Sydney and Johannesburg, a route that crosses the Indian Ocean where the upper stages of SpaceX rockets — whose satellites also — have been launched.
The airline stated that the recent disruptions were due to Last-minute changes to the timing and location of rocket reentrieswhich made it difficult to adjust flight schedules in advance.
“In recent weeks, we have had to delay several flights between Johannesburg and Sydney due to advice received from the US government regarding the re-entry of SpaceX rockets over a large area of the southern Indian Ocean,” said Ben Holland, head of the operations center from Qantas to .
South African Airways has also been affected by SpaceX’s activities, although the airline has not yet publicly commented on the situation.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets — which this Tuesday launches two Portuguese satellites into space — are designed with a reusable booster stage, while the upper stage is intentionally disposed of in the ocean.
With already six launches in 2025 and more than 100 in 2024, the frequency of these events has increased concerns for airlines operating in the affected areas.
Qantas stressed that the unpredictable nature of rocket re-entries complicates operations.
“Customers generally understand that this is outside the control of the airlines and that we cannot fly in the area when the rocket is re-entering,” explains the Qantas boss further.
Efforts are already underway to resolve the problem. Qantas is discussing with SpaceX the development of a system that minimizes disruption to passengers while ensuring safety.
SpaceX did not comment on the matter.
