LONDON/CHICAGO:
Britain and Egypt asked their airlines on Wednesday to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace, amid growing fears of a possible wider conflict in the region after the killing of senior members of the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Britain’s advice to its airlines to avoid Lebanese airspace came hours after Egypt ordered all its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours early Thursday.
Many airlines worldwide are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace, while also suspending flights to Israel and Lebanon.
Flying through conflict zones became a prominent industry safety issue a decade ago after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 on board.
US-based United Airlines said on Wednesday that its flights to Tel Aviv, which had been suspended on July 31 due to security concerns, remained suspended. “We continue to monitor the situation closely and will focus on the safety of our customers and crew as we decide when to resume flights,” the airline said.
Its competitor Delta Air Lines has suspended its flights between New York and Tel Aviv until August 31.
British carriers do not currently fly to Lebanon, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
Singapore Airlines stopped flying in Iranian airspace last Friday and is using alternative routes, saying safety is its top priority.
Similarly, Egyptian airlines have already avoided Iranian airspace. The new directive applies to all Egyptian carriers, including charter companies and other smaller airlines, said Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP – a membership-based organization that shares flight risk information.
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Egypt’s NOTAM, a safety alert issued to pilots, said the directive would be in effect from 01:00 to 04:00 GMT on Thursday.
“All Egyptian air carriers will avoid flying over Tehran (Flight Information Area). No flight plans will be accepted over such territory,” the statement said, referring to the three-hour fixed period.
Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed later on Wednesday that the notice was intended to reduce risks to flight safety in light of a notification it received from Iranian authorities.
“Military exercises will be held in Iranian airspace on August 7 from 11:30 to 14:30 and from 4:30 to 7:30 on August 8 Tehran time,” the statement said.
The ministry’s press statement followed an unnamed source quoted by state-run Al Qahera News as saying Iranian authorities had told them to avoid flying into the country’s airspace because of “military exercises”.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Khani spoke by phone with the Egyptian foreign minister on Wednesday, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website.
In 2020, Iranian air defense units said they accidentally shot down Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752, killing all 176 on board, shortly after it took off from Tehran airport. At the time, they were on heightened alert due to heightened tensions with the United States.
On Sunday, Jordanian authorities asked all airlines landing at its airports to carry 45 minutes of extra fuel.
Countries in the region, including Jordan, closed their airspace earlier this year amid Israeli airstrikes.
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