After the deaths of senior members of the terror organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, the risk of conflict escalating in the Middle East has significantly increased. On Wednesday, August 7, Egypt issued a directive to its airlines to completely avoid Iranian airspace within a specified time limit.
According to Reuters, on that day, Egypt instructed all its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace within three hours of early Thursday morning. The safety notice (NOTAM) provided by Egyptian authorities to pilots stated that this directive would be effective between 1 am and 4 am Greenwich Mean Time on Thursday, August 8.
The notice stated that within the three-hour timeframe, “all Egyptian airlines should avoid flying over Tehran (the flight information region). Flight plans over this area will not be recognized.”
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority later confirmed in a statement on Wednesday, August 7, that this notice was issued to align with a notification from Iranian authorities in order to reduce flight safety risks.
The statement said, “Military exercises will take place in Iranian airspace from August 7, 11:30 to 14:30 and on August 8, 4:30 to 7:30, Tehran time.”
Prior to this, Iran’s state-owned Al Qahera News TV quoted an anonymous source as saying that Iranian authorities had suggested avoiding flying over Iranian airspace due to “military exercises.”
According to reports from the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister on Wednesday, August 7.
Mark Zee, the founder of OPSGROUP, a member-based organization for sharing flight risk information, mentioned that the new directive applies to all Egyptian airlines, including charter operators and other smaller airlines.
As the deadline has passed, there have been no new updates reported, and the tense situation continues.
Many airlines globally are adjusting their flight schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace, and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon.
On the same day, the UK issued recommendations to its airlines to steer clear of Iranian and Lebanese airspace.
United Airlines, based in the United States, announced on Wednesday, August 7, that flights to Tel Aviv, Israel have been suspended since July 31 due to safety concerns. The company stated, “We will continue to closely monitor developments and prioritize the safety of passengers and crew in deciding when to resume services.”
Delta Air Lines, a competitor of United Airlines, has also suspended flights between New York and Tel Aviv until the end of August.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 data shows no British airlines currently operating flights to Lebanon.
Singapore Airlines ceased flying over Iranian airspace last Friday, August 2, and is utilizing alternative routes.
On Sunday, August 4, Jordanian authorities required all airlines landing at their airports to carry an extra 45 minutes of fuel. Earlier this year, regional countries, including Jordan, closed their airspace due to Iranian air strikes on Israel.
Flights traversing conflict zones have become a prominent issue of airline safety. In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukrainian airspace by a Russian missile, resulting in the loss of all 298 lives onboard.
In January 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down shortly after taking off from Tehran airport by two missiles launched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, resulting in the loss of all 176 people onboard. Iranian authorities referred to it as a “human error,” as Iran was on high alert following the retaliatory strike on an Iraqi military base by the US which killed their top commander, Soleimani.