Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon following the recent killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Singapore Airlines announced it had stopped flying through Iranian airspace early Friday morning, citing safety as its top priority. Similarly, Taiwan’s EVA Air and China Airlines have altered their routes, avoiding Iranian airspace for flights to Amsterdam, according to data from Flightradar24. The airlines have not yet commented on these changes.
Many airlines, particularly US and European carriers, have long avoided Iranian airspace, especially since the missile and drone exchanges between Iran and Israel in April. Singapore Airlines rerouted its flight to London Heathrow on Friday, flying over Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan instead of Iran, as it had done the previous day.
Despite these adjustments, several airlines continue to fly over Iran, including UAE carriers Etihad, Emirates, and FlyDubai, along with Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
In response to the regional unrest, several airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv. Over the past two days, Air India, Germany’s Lufthansa Group, US carriers United Airlines and Delta Air, and Italy’s ITA Airways have halted their services to the Israeli city.
Flights to Beirut have also been affected. Airlines have been canceling and delaying services to the Lebanese capital following a strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday, which Israel attributed to Hezbollah, though the group has denied involvement. Kuwait Airlines announced that its last flight from Beirut to Kuwait would operate on August 4.
Air France extended its suspension of flights between Paris and Beirut until at least August 6, following the Golan Heights strike, which killed 12 children and teenagers. Israel and the United States have blamed Hezbollah for the attack. “Given the security situation… the airline extends its suspension of flights between Paris and Beirut until August 6 included,” Air France stated, noting it was monitoring the situation in Lebanon in real time.
Canada has issued a notice to Canadian aircraft to avoid Lebanese airspace for one month due to the aviation risks from military activity. Similarly, Britain has advised pilots for the past month about the potential risks from anti-aircraft weaponry and military activity in Lebanon’s airspace.
As tensions in the region continue to escalate, airlines are taking significant precautions to ensure passenger safety, closely monitoring developments, and adjusting their routes and schedules accordingly.
