SINGAPORE: Airlines are increasingly avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon due to escalating concerns about potential conflict in the region. This follows the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah this week.
Singapore Airlines, prioritizing safety, began using alternative routes early Friday, avoiding Iranian airspace. Similarly, Taiwanese carriers EVA Air and China Airlines adjusted their flight paths to Amsterdam, bypassing Iran, according to Flightradar24 data.
Aviation advisory group OPSGROUP recommended that flights between Asia and Europe steer clear of Iranian and Iraqi airspace. This advice came after sources indicated that top Iranian officials planned to meet with allies from Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen to discuss possible retaliatory actions against Israel. US and European airlines have largely been avoiding Iranian airspace since missile and drone exchanges between Iran and Israel in April.
Despite these precautions, several airlines, including Etihad, Emirates, FlyDubai, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines, continued to operate flights over Iran on Friday.
In response to the growing tensions, Air India, Lufthansa Group, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and ITA Airways suspended flights to Tel Aviv. Additionally, flights to Beirut have been canceled or delayed following an attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel attributed to Hezbollah, though the group denied involvement.
Canada issued a one-month notice advising Canadian aircraft to avoid Lebanese airspace due to military activity risks. The UK has also warned pilots for the past month about potential anti-aircraft weaponry and military threats in Lebanese airspace.
If a broader conflict erupts in the Middle East, civil aviation could face significant risks from drones, missiles, and GPS spoofing, which misleads aircraft about their actual locations, particularly around Lebanon and Israel.
