Iran’s first direct attack on Israel this weekend complicated flights in one of the world’s most congested regions, forcing airlines to opt for long-haul flights from cities such as London and Paris to destinations in the Persian Gulf or India.
Several countries in the Middle East, including Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, briefly closed their airspace over the weekend as Iran launched drones and missiles that blocked airline traffic -air, forcing airlines to reroute, thus extending and adding to flight times. to the increase in fuel prices.
European airlines took a variety of actions on Monday, with EasyJet Plc suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv, while British Airways Plc continues to operate flights to Israel and Jordan. The latter had a problem last weekend, when a flight bound for Jordan had to turn around due to the closure of the airport.
Air France Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways are among the other airlines that have circled the region or stopped service to places like Israel and Jordan. Virgin Atlantic announced it would not be flying over Iraq, Iran or Israel at this time, while Wizz Air said it had suspended flights to Israel and Jordan over the weekend, but was considering starting flights to Tel Aviv tomorrow (Tuesday).
Air France said it plans to resume flights to Beirut on Monday and to Tel Aviv on Tuesday, after reopening Israeli and Lebanese airspace. However, she said flights to destinations such as Dubai, India and Singapore will be extended by up to 45 minutes due to schedule changes. “Air France reiterates that the safety of its customers and crew is its top priority,” the airline said. “The company is constantly monitoring developments in the geopolitical situation of the appropriate areas to ensure the highest level of aviation safety.”
Iran Air is often used by airlines traveling between Europe and India or Southeast Asia. The airspace throughout the Middle East is fraught with danger and complexity. In the past two years, airlines have faced a series of challenges after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted the flight paths of many airlines and forced them to change in a method that still exists today.
At an earlier stage in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the airlines faced dozens of disruptions based mainly on Tel Aviv, canceling flights to or from the country.
Israel closed its airspace to domestic and international routes on Saturday, before reopening on Sunday morning. Lebanon and Iraq also started flights over their territories.
The latest moves by the airlines came after Israel and its allies, led by the US, criticized Iran’s response, which came amid suspicions that Israel was behind the attack on the Iranian embassy there in Syria on April 1, in which a senior military commander was killed. Iran said on Saturday that its forces had intercepted a cargo ship bound for Israel near the Strait of Hormuz.
A few days earlier, Lufthansa suspended flights to several cities in the Middle East. The group – whose airlines include German flag carrier Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines – announced on Sunday that it would resume flights to Tel Aviv, Erbil in Iraq and Amman on Tuesday, while flights to Beirut and Tehran would be suspended until at least April 18.
