"Avoiding Iranian and Iraqi Airspace, Airlines Worldwide Change Flight Routes One After Another"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] After Iran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq, airlines worldwide have successively changed their flight routes to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace.

Germany's largest airline, Lufthansa, canceled its flight from Frankfurt Airport to Tehran, Iran, on the 8th (local time). According to dpa news agency, a Lufthansa official stated, "This is a precautionary measure considering the current situation surrounding the Iranian region." The airline also plans to operate flights avoiding Iraqi and Iranian airspace.

France's largest airline, Air France, also announced, "Due to the airstrike news, as a precautionary measure, all flight routes passing through Iranian and Iraqi airspace will be suspended until further notice."

Russian aviation authorities have also advised their domestic civil aircraft to refrain from flying over Iranian and Iraqi airspace. According to TASS news agency, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) stated in a notice that "Regarding the current risks of international route operations for civil aircraft, until further notice, Russian civil aircraft are advised not to use Iranian, Iraqi airspace, and the airspace over the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman."

Singapore Airlines has also changed its routes to bypass Iranian airspace. According to major foreign media, Singapore Airlines explained, "Considering the recent developments in the region, all flights to and from Europe have been rerouted to avoid Iranian airspace."

Malaysia Airlines also announced it will avoid flying over Iranian airspace, and Qantas Airways of Australia, China Airlines of Taiwan, and SriLankan Airlines will not operate flights over Iranian or Iraqi airspace.

Canada's largest airline, Air Canada, also announced via Twitter on the same day that it changed its routes to protect its aircraft operating in the Middle East region.

Flydubai, an airline from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), also canceled its Baghdad, Iraq-bound flight for the day.

Earlier, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned its domestic airlines from flying over Iranian, Iraqi, and Gulf waters airspace due to tensions in the Middle East. This measure was taken shortly after Iran launched dozens of missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Quds Force (an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards), escalating tensions in the Middle East to the highest level.

Hours after Iran's missile attack, a Boeing passenger plane belonging to a Ukrainian airline crashed shortly after takeoff on the outskirts of Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined but is presumed to be due to a mechanical defect.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.