War disrupts ICANN 85
It seems a bit tasteless to whine about disrupted flights when the Middle-East is erupting into war; nevertheless, that’s the immediate issue facing would-be attendees at this week’s public ICANN meeting.
ICANN 85 is taking place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India from this coming weekend.
While Mumbai is over 2,000km from Tehran, Iran has been attacking many neighbouring nations in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli bombardment, which has resulted in the closure of several airports as missiles, drones and fighter planes invade their airspace.
Some ICANN travellers, mainly those traveling west-to-east, will find that hub airports in Dubai or Bahrain are in their connections itinerary. Those flying Emirates will be particularly affected.
ICANN said in a statement at the weekend that 85 “will proceed as planned” and that would-be attendees feeling uncomfortable traveling can take advantage of online participation if they prefer.
The Org and its travel agent are together responsible for funding and arranging the travel of hundreds of participants, and ICANN said they were working to route travellers around the affected airspace.
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It doesn’t make sense for this to go ahead as planned. In a world where remote participation is fully viable, it’s hard to justify spending fees on in-person events like this. From a cost and risk perspective, it feels unnecessary – particularly given the current regional tensions. It would seem more prudent to prioritise safety and responsible use of funds rather than pushing ahead regardless.