Frequent flyers and aviation enthusiasts were left unsettled after noticing a haunting image on Flight Radar’s live map—a skull-like shape formed by gaps in global air traffic.
For those unfamiliar, FlightRadar24 is a real-time flight tracking website that shows the locations of aircraft in the sky at any given moment. Occasionally, the site shares satellite views of air traffic patterns on social media, particularly when the aircraft distributions inadvertently create recognizable shapes.
That’s exactly what happened recently, when FlightRadar24 posted a map on X (formerly Twitter), revealing four conspicuous voids in global air traffic. These gaps, when viewed together, resembled the hollow eyes, nose, and mouth of a skull — a visual that many users found deeply unnerving.
Two adjacent blank zones—one over Eastern Europe and the other in East Asia—appear to form the “eyes” of the skull. A third gap, located in the Middle East, resembles the “nose,” while a much broader area over Central Africa creates the illusion of a “mouth.”
Social media reactions were immediate and eerie.
“Anyone else see the skull face?” one user asked.
Another simply replied with three skull-and-crossbones emojis.
“Looks like a skull,” a third added, while someone else compared it to “my kid’s jack-o’-lantern on November 1st.”
Ukraine – The Left Eye
The void over Ukraine is one of the most prominent. After the 2022 Russian invasion, Ukrainian airspace was closed to civilian aircraft. This no-fly zone follows years of caution from international airlines, especially after the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 during conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Middle East – The Nose
The “nose” gap is over parts of the Middle East, including airspace near Israel, Gaza, and Iran. Following recent escalations, including Israel’s missile strike on Iran, many commercial airlines have rerouted to avoid the region for safety.
Central Africa – The Mouth
The large area over Central Africa resembling the “mouth” is mainly due to ongoing conflict and instability. War-torn regions like Libya and Sudan have seen reduced air traffic, and nearby areas such as Algeria, northern Mali, Niger, and Chad are also commonly avoided by commercial airlines due to safety concerns or lack of infrastructure.
Tibet – The Right Eye
The blank area over Tibet — representing the “right eye” — is not due to conflict, but geography. Tibet’s extreme elevation makes it a risky region for emergency descents. Most aircraft fly between 35,000–40,000 feet and carry supplemental oxygen, but if a cabin were to depressurize, pilots would need to descend to 10,000 feet quickly. In Tibet, which sits at or above that altitude, such a descent could prove impossible, posing a unique hazard.
Final Thoughts
While the “skull” shape on the FlightRadar map is chilling to look at, it’s a stark visual reminder of global conflicts, restricted airspaces, and natural barriers that continue to shape the world’s flight paths. It’s not a glitch or a coincidence—just a real-time reflection of the world’s geopolitical and geographical realities.
This is what global air traffic looks like right now. Three clear gaps are limiting air traffic. pic.twitter.com/X7dV9KZv9f
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 17, 2025
