Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry announced on Wednesday that Egyptian airlines are instructed to avoid Iranian airspace for a three-hour period on Thursday. This decision follows a notification from Tehran regarding scheduled military drills. This advisory arises amid heightened regional tensions following the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran last week.
Egypt clarified that the warning is part of a notice issued by Iran to all commercial airlines. The restriction on Iranian airspace will be in effect from 4:30 am to 7:30 am on Thursday, and a similar warning was in place for three hours earlier on Wednesday, according to the Egyptian ministry. Additionally, Britain has advised its airlines to avoid Lebanese airspace due to escalating concerns of a potential broader conflict in the region. This advisory came hours after Egypt’s directive to avoid Iran’s airspace.
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Many airlines globally are adjusting their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace and are also canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon. Safety issues for flights through conflict zones became a significant concern after the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine a decade ago, resulting in 298 fatalities. United Airlines, based in the U.S., announced on Wednesday that its flights to Tel Aviv, paused on July 31 due to security concerns, remain suspended. Delta Air Lines has also paused its flights between New York and Tel Aviv through August 31.
British carriers are not currently flying to Lebanon, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. Singapore Airlines stopped flying through Iranian airspace last Friday and is using alternative routes, prioritizing safety. Egyptian airlines have already been avoiding Iran’s airspace, with the new directive applying to all Egyptian carriers, including charter operators and smaller airlines, according to Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, an organization that shares flight-risk information.
Egypt’s NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) indicates that the instruction will be in effect from 0100 to 0400 GMT on Thursday. “All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran (Flight Information Region). No flight plan will be accepted overflying such territory,” the notice stated. Egypt’s civil aviation ministry later confirmed that the notice was intended to reduce flight safety risks in response to the notification received from Iranian authorities.
