Summary Egypt and Britain advised airlines to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspaces due to growing tensions in the Middle East. Airlines are rerouting flights to avoid Iran and Lebanon, while some suspended services to Israel. Major carriers like Lufthansa and US airlines have extended flight suspensions to Tel Aviv amid security concerns.
As tensions in the Middle East continue to grow, some airlines have been forced to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspaces as a cautionary measure. Meanwhile, several international carriers have suspended flights to Israel again. Notice to avoid Iran's airspace Amid fears of a wider regional conflict, Britain and Egypt asked their airlines to avoid flying over Lebanon and Iran on Thursday, August 8.
The British advisory came after Egypt instructed its carriers to avoid flying over Iran for up to three hours on Thursday morning. Although the country's major carriers, including Egyptair, have already been avoiding Iran, the directive applied to all operators, including charters and smaller airlines. A NOTAM issued by Egyptian authorities said the instruction would be effective from 01:00 to 04:00 GMT.
"All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran (Flight Information Region). No flight plan will be accepted overflying such territory." According to Firstpost , Tehran had sent a cautionary notice asking Egypt to avoid the country's airspace between 04:30 and 07:30 local time.
Reuters reported that a statement from the ministry came after state-affiliated news outlet Al Qahera News TV quoted an unnamed source saying that Iranian authorities had issued a notice to avoid the country's airspace due to "military exercises." According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, the country's acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, spoke to his Egyptian counterpart over the phone on Wednesday, August 7. Until Iran's new Su-35s arrive, it is left with a few dozen out of date or obsolete operational fighter jets.
Growing tensions in the Middle East The escalating tensions in the Middle East come after the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran as well as senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Following the directive, several flights were rerouted to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace, while some airlines suspended flights to Israel and Lebanon. Last week, Singapore Airlines began avoiding flying over Iran, noting that it was monitoring the situation in the Middle East.
For example, its flights from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Istanbul (IST), which previously flew over Iran, are now following routes over Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Suspending flights to Israel Since October 2023, flights to and from Israel have been significantly disrupted due to security and political factors. Many airlines suspended flights for extended periods, while others pulled out indefinitely.
Amid the latest security concerns, major carriers have once again suspended flights to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport , the country's main gateway. Lufthansa, along with its subsidiaries Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, had initially suspended flights until August 8, but that has been extended to August 13. The suspension also includes flights to Beirut, Tehran, Amman, and Erbil.
Similarly, US carriers, which recently reinstated connections to Israel , have once again suspended their services. Delta Air Lines has paused flights between New York JFK and Tel Aviv for the rest of August. The airline is "continuously monitoring the evolving security environment" and assessing its operations based on security guidance.
Meanwhile, United Airlines flights also remain suspended. Other airlines that have halted flights to Israel include flydubai, Iberia, Wizz Air, Ryanair, and KLM..
