Britain and Egypt have advised their airlines to steer clear of Iranian and Lebanese airspace amid increasing concerns about a broader regional conflict. This directive follows the recent killings of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, which have heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Airlines worldwide are adjusting their flight routes to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace and are canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon. Britain’s advisory to its airlines to avoid Lebanese airspace came shortly after Egypt instructed all its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours on Thursday morning.
United Airlines announced on Wednesday that its flights to Tel Aviv, which were paused on July 31 due to security concerns, remain suspended. “We continue to closely monitor the situation and will focus on the safety of our customers and crews as we decide when to resume service,” a spokesperson for United Airlines said.
The safety of flights through conflict zones became a significant industry issue a decade ago after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of all 298 passengers on board.
Delta Air Lines has also suspended its flights between New York and Tel Aviv through August 31. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, British carriers are currently not flying to Lebanon. Singapore Airlines stopped flying through Iranian airspace last Friday, opting for alternative routes, emphasizing that safety is its top priority.
New Directive by Egyptian Airlines
Egyptian airlines have already been avoiding Iranian airspace, and the new directive applies to all Egyptian carriers, including charter operators and smaller airlines. Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares flight-risk information, confirmed this.
Egypt’s NOTAM, a safety notice provided to pilots, stated that the instruction would be in effect from 0100 to 0400 GMT on Thursday. “All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran (Flight Information Region). No flight plan will be accepted overflying such territory,” the notice specified, referring to the three-hour period.
Egypt’s civil aviation ministry later confirmed on Wednesday that the notice aimed to reduce flight safety risks following a notification from Iranian authorities. Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani spoke with Egypt’s foreign minister by phone on Wednesday, according to the Iranian foreign ministry’s website.
“Military exercises will be conducted over Iranian airspace on Aug. 7 from 11:30 to 14:30 and from 4:30 to 7:30 on Aug. 8 Tehran time,” the ministry’s statement said. An unnamed source quoted by the state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV indicated that Iranian authorities had advised avoiding the country’s airspace due to these military exercises.
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Incident of 2020
In 2020, Iranian air defense units mistakenly shot down Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752, killing all 176 people on board shortly after it took off from Tehran airport. This incident occurred during heightened tensions with the United States.
On Sunday, Jordanian authorities requested all airlines landing at its airports to carry an extra 45 minutes’ worth of fuel. Earlier this year, countries in the region, including Jordan, closed their airspace amid aerial attacks on Israel.
The latest advisories from Britain and Egypt highlight the growing caution in the aviation industry as the situation in the Middle East remains volatile. Airlines and governments are taking proactive steps to ensure passenger and crew safety amid the escalating tensions.
