Airlines Extend Middle East Route Diversions and Cancellations

15.04.2024 - 18:31 / skift.com / Caspian Sea / Virgin Atlantic / Gordon Smith

After a tense weekend in the Middle East, airlines are considering what, if any, changes need to be made to their networks and routes. 

On Saturday evening, the airspace above Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran was closed or heavily restricted. As well as impacting services to the region, it also affected long-distance journeys that fly over these countries when traveling to other parts of the world. 

By Monday, the situation had stabilized, and the temporary airspace bans were lifted. 

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it is “closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East.” However, it emphasized that “there was no overflight risk for civil aviation at any time.”

Many big-name brands were still taking a cautious approach.

On Monday, Virgin Atlantic confirmed to Skift that it has made changes to Indian routes. An additional 30-minute flight time is expected for services to Mumbai and Bengaluru.

“We have been closely following events in the Middle East and have made the decision to temporarily avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran, and Israel, meaning some Virgin Atlantic passenger services between the UK and India will be adjusted.

“The safety and security of our customers and people is paramount and always will be. We will continue to monitor the situation and apologize for any inconvenience caused to customers by slightly longer flight times,” said a company statement.  

Like many of its peers, Virgin Atlantic has had to respond to a rapidly changing airspace environment over recent days. 

Flight VS354 from London Heathrow to Mumbai was airborne on Saturday night when the initial airspace closure was announced. This required the plane to divert to Istanbul to refuel and take a longer path over the Caspian Sea. The flight arrived at its destination almost five hours behind schedule.

British Airways would not discuss operational matters, citing safety and security reasons. However, analysis of flight tracking platforms suggests that many of its aircraft are flying a northern route over Azerbaijan. Others are taking a more southern path than normal, particularly over Saudi Arabia, to avoid geopolitically sensitive regions.

Qantas Airways, KLM, and Singapore Airlines are among the other major airlines that are currently avoiding Iranian airspace.

The Lufthansa Group said its flights to Lebanon and Iran will remain suspended until at least Thursday. Last week, the company initially adopted a hybrid approach, with Lufthansa canceling its Tehran route but Austrian Airlines continuing to fly, albeit without the usual overnight layover.

In other developments, British Airways operated from London to Tel Aviv as planned on Monday. Flight BA402 landed in the Israeli city just after 3pm