Summary Flights over Afghanistan have increased due to safety concerns over Israeli and Iranian airspace. Major airlines like Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa have adjusted routes to mitigate risks. More than seven times as many flights over Afghanistan compared to last year.
Airlines are increasingly utilizing Afghanistan's airspace during long-haul flights, deeming the country as a safer option to Israeli and Iranian airspace. As the threat of a larger conflict between Israel and Iran remains, major airlines are routing their flights to over Afghanistan despite a history of avoiding the airspace since the Taliban's return to power. Airlines increase flights over Afghanistan According to an analysis by Reuters based on data from Flightradar24 , there were seven times more flights over Afghanistan in the second week of this August compared to the year prior, demonstrating an increasing willingness by carriers to fly over airspace they have typically avoided in recent years.
This is despite the fact that the Taliban stopped air traffic control services three years ago after returning to power. The change started in April in the aftermath of Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel, which was largely thwarted by air defenses. By then, multiple airlines, including Air France-KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines, started adopted new routings over Afghanistan for their long-haul services.
A spokesperson for KLM told Reuters that its f.