Airlines Warned to Steer Clear of Iranian Airspace on Thursday

August 7, 2024 TruthUSA

Airlines operating international flights are being instructed to avoid Iranian airspace amidst escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

Egypt issued a safety notice on Aug. 7, directing its airlines to steer clear of flying over Tehran the following day from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. UTC.

The notice stated, “All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran FIR (Flight Information Region),” and specified that flight plans over that territory during the specified timeframe would not be accepted.

Simultaneously, Israel is on high alert for a potential Iranian attack following the recent targeted explosion that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Hamas, backed by Iran, accused Israel of the attack. Iran also blamed Israel, with its foreign ministry pointing towards the United States as sharing responsibility as a close ally of Israel.

Israel has not confirmed nor denied involvement in Haniyeh’s death.

As the threat of an attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies looms, major airlines are adjusting their services in the Middle East.

Germany’s Lufthansa announced on Aug. 7 the suspension of flights to Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil until Aug. 13, avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace until then.

Lufthansa previously announced the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Tehran through Aug. 12.

Delta, still recovering from a cyber outage, stated on Aug. 5 that it has “paused” flights between New York’s JFK Airport and Tel Aviv until the end of the month, extending the suspension to Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil.

Several major low-cost carriers in Europe have also canceled flights.

British airline EasyJet announced on Aug. 6 that it will not resume flights to Israel until March 29, 2025, following a previous suspension after Iran’s attack in April.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has suspended flights to Israel until Aug. 10.

Despite the situation, Israel’s transportation ministry assures the safety of its airspace. Israeli airlines are continuing operations as usual and adding more flights to assist stranded citizens.

El Al mentioned in a statement that additional flights will be available at a consistent price for passengers affected by cancellations on other airlines wishing to fly one-way to Israel.

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