British Airways , Virgin Atlantic and other airlines are avoiding further Middle East airspace as tensions rise in the region – resulting in longer flight times and potential disrupted journeys. Qantas has dropped its Perth- London nonstop, adding a Singapore refuelling stop because of the extended flight. Since the Hamas leader, Ismael Haniyeh, was assassinated in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in July , fears have grown of retaliatory strikes against Israel.
Tehran has told international carriers to avoid Iran’s airspace , which is normally used by many aircraft between Asia, the Gulf and Europe. Four years ago, after Iran attacked US forces in Iraq with missiles. a passenger plane was inadvertently shot down by Iranian military with the loss of 176 lives.
Until this week BA, Virgin and other carriers have been using Iraqi airspace. But on routes to and from destinations in the Gulf and South Asia, pilots are now taking a more southerly route that avoids Iraqi as well as Iranian airspace. Virgin Atlantic flight VS317 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru in southern India took the usual route on Tuesday, flying over Germany, Austria and the Balkans before tracking Turkey and Iraq to reach the Gulf.
But by Wednesday the same flight flew over France, Italy, Greece, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Virgin Atlantic has been approached for comment. Similar route adjustments have been made by British Airways and many other carriers.
A spokesperson for BA said: “The safety and security of .