Airlines are considering an ever-shrinking set of options for traveling between Europe and Asia after grappling with airspace closures following Iran’s first direct attack on Israel from its soil.
Several countries in the Middle East, including Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon temporarily closed their airspace as Iran launched drones and missiles. Israel and Iran have also imposed air traffic restrictions on theirs.
A number of airlines are rerouting or avoiding hot spots in a series of decisions that will extend flight times and increase fuel costs. These include Qantas Airways Ltd., Singapore Airlines Ltd and Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
Qatar Airways and Emirates resumed some suspended services in the Middle East on Sunday with the reopening of airspace.
Iranian airspace is frequently used by airlines traveling between Europe and India or Southeast Asia. Airspace across the Middle East are fraught with risks and complexities. Airlines are facing a series of challenges after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which cut off access to many carriers, forcing lengthy diversions that still exist today.
Earlier in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, airlines faced widespread disruptions, mostly centered on Tel Aviv, canceling flights to or from the country.
Israel closed its airspace for national and international routes on Saturday, before reopening them on Sunday morning. Lebanon and Iraq have also resumed flights over their territories.
The latest diversions come as Israel and its allies, led by the United States, have rebuffed Iran’s response to a alleged Israeli attack against the Iranian embassy in Syria on April 1, which killed a top military commander. Iran said Saturday its forces had seized an Israel-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz.
A few days earlier, the Lufthansa group suspended flights to several cities in the Middle East. The group – whose airlines include German national carrier Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines – announced on Sunday that it would resume flights to Tel Aviv, Erbil in Iraq and Amman on Tuesday, while those to Beirut and Tehran would remain interrupted until at least April 18.
Qantas had temporarily adjusted its direct Perth-London flights will stop in Singapore to account for additional fuel needed for re-routing around the volatile region.
Singapore Air said that its flights did not fly over Iranian airspace. Cathay Pacific Ltd. is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East, but its operations remain normal, a spokesperson said in a text message Sunday.
