Airlines confront new Iran-Israel risks as Mideast nations shut airspace

By Olivia Poh and Danny Lee

Airlines are weighing an ever narrowing set of options to fly between Europe and Asia after grappling with airspace shutdowns in the wake of the first direct Iranian attack on Israel from its soil.

Several Middle Eastern countries including Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon announced closures of their airspace as Iran launched drones and missiles. Both Israel and Iran also imposed restrictions on airline traffic over their airspace.

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A number of airlines are rerouting or avoiding trouble spots in a series of decisions that will prolong flight times and add to fuel costs. They include Qantas Airways Ltd., Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Deutsche Lufthansa AG, while Kuwait Airways said it was diverting flights away from “tension areas.”

Swiss International Air Lines said it will suspend Tel Aviv flights until further notice, and all its aircraft will avoid Iran, Iraq and Israeli airspace.

Israel shut down its airspace for both domestic and international routes on Saturday, before reopening them Sunday morning. 

Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq had temporarily closed their airspace for incoming, outgoing and transit flights as a precautionary measure. Amman extended the closure for several hours, citing growing risks in the region, according to state-run media.

Iran’s airspace is frequently utilized by airlines traveling between Europe and India or Southeast Asia. Airspace across the Middle East are littered with risks and complexities. Airlines are contending with a set of challenges after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine severed access for many carriers forcing lengthy diversions which exist to this day.

Earlier in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, airlines faced scores of disruptions primarily centered on Tel Aviv, cancelling flights into or out of the country.

The latest diversions come as Israel and its allies, led by the US, fended off Iran’s response to a suspected Israeli attack on Iran’s embassy in Syria on April 1, which killed a top military commander. Iran said on Saturday its forces seized an Israel-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz.

Days earlier, Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, suspended flights to Tehran, a move followed by its sister carrier Austrian Airlines. Qantas also temporarily adjusted its direct Perth-London flights to stop over in Singapore to account for the extra fuel needed to re-route around the volatile region.

Singapore Air said that its flights were not overflying Iranian airspace. Cathay Pacific Ltd. is watching the situation in the Middle East closely, but its operations remain normal, a spokesman said in a text message Sunday.