Airlines avoid some Mideast airspace, cancel Israel flights as tensions
mount
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[August 02, 2024]
By Lisa Barrington
(Reuters) -Airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and
cancelling flights to Israel and Lebanon, as concerns grow over a
possible conflict in the region after the killing of senior members of
militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah this week.
Singapore Airlines stopped flying through Iranian airspace from early
Friday morning and is using alternative routes, saying safety is its top
priority, it told Reuters in a statement.
Taiwan's EVA Air and China Airlines also appeared to be avoiding Iran
airspace for flights to Amsterdam on Friday which previously had flown
over Iran, Flightradar24 data showed.
The airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the
route changes.
In a bulletin, OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares
flight risk information, advised traffic between Asia and Europe to
avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace, a day after sources told Reuters that
top Iranian officials will meet the representatives of Iran's regional
allies from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to discuss potential retaliation
against Israel.
Many airlines, including U.S. and European airlines, already avoid
flying over Iran, especially since the reciprocal missile and drone
attacks in April between Iran and Israel.

Singapore Airlines' flight to London Heathrow early on Friday went north
of Iran through Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, rather than crossing
through Iran as it did the day before, Flightradar24 showed.
However, a significant number of airlines on Friday were still flying
over Iran, including United Arab Emirates carriers Etihad, Emirates and
FlyDubai, as well as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
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A Palestinian carries a picture of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh,
who was killed in Iran, during a march to condemn his killing, at
Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon July
31, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Over the past two days, Air India, Germany's Lufthansa Group, U.S.
carriers United Airlines and Delta Air, and Italy's ITA Airways said
they had suspended flights to Tel Aviv.
Airlines this week have also been cancelling and delaying flights to
the Lebanese capital Beirut after a strike in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights on Saturday. Israel has blamed the attack on
Lebanon-based armed group Hezbollah, which denied involvement.
Canada on Thursday issued a notice to Canadian aircraft to avoid
Lebanese airspace for one month due to the risk to aviation from
military activity.
Britain has for the past month advised pilots of potential risk from
anti-aircraft weaponry and military activity in Lebanon's airspace.
Should an all-out war break out in the Middle East, OpsGroup said
civil aviation will likely face the risk of drones and missiles
crossing airways, as well as the increased risk of GPS spoofing - a
growing phenomena around Lebanon and Israel where militaries and
other actors broadcast signals that trick a plane's GPS system into
thinking it is somewhere it is not.
(Writing by Lisa Barrington; editing by Miral Fahmy and Ros Russell)
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