Iran effectively shut down its airspace overnight Sunday, for what were termed “operational reasons.” While flights have since resumed, the move underscores the unpredictability of travel in the Middle East as the threat of all-out conflict looms.
Regional aviation has been in disarray since Tehran launched its largest-ever missile attack on Israel last Tuesday, responding to a series of Israeli attacks on Lebanese Hezbollah. The barrage has prompted Israel to threaten a major retaliation, with Iran’s oil fields, nuclear facilities and military bases all identified as possible targets. Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, has also been disrupting commercial flight paths.
The intensified conflict has many airlines diverting or cancelling flights, and observers are warning of severe delays. Writing in the Independent, Simon Calder said “the remarkable, unrelenting choreography that allows millions of passengers to connect every day at Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and many other hubs is under severe strain” because of the conflict.
[See more: Here’s what to do if you lose your Macao passport while travelling]
He foresaw the possibility of passengers “waiting at the hubs for several days for onward flights” as a result of backlog caused by delayed schedules and missed connections, and pointed out that because such hold-ups were the result of military conflict, airlines could not be held liable and would be under no obligation to provide stranded passengers with food or accommodation.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is currently recommending EU air operators avoid the airspaces of Iran, Israel and Lebanon at all flight levels until at least 31 October. Many major non-EU operators are taking similar precautions, although some regional carriers, like budget operator flydubai, are operating normal services for the time being.
Security website Crisis24 recommends that travellers reconfirm their reservations if scheduled to travel via the airspaces or airports of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan or Lebanon. The site also advises travellers to be aware that rerouting may jeopardise connections and to plan accordingly. For the latest advisories on aviation safety, passengers can also check the website Safe Airspace.
