Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines among carriers avoiding Iran airspace after missile attack
- Cathay Pacific says it has not flown over Iran and Iraq for over a year, while AirAsia and Taiwan’s China Airlines do not fly over the two countries
- The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned American carriers from operation in the region after Tehran fired missiles at US-led forces in Iraq
Taiwan’s China Airlines said its passenger flights were unaffected as they did not fly over Iran and Iraq, but said it would divert its cargo services from the Middle East and India to Europe through the airspace of Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia to avoid Iran, Iraq and the Persian Gulf.
While Vietnam Airlines’ flights to Europe do not pass through Iranian or Iraqi airspace, the carrier said it would re-route its flights to maintain a distance from areas that might be impacted by the rising tensions.
Garuda Indonesia is also rerouting its Europe flights to bypass Iranian airspace and the surrounding areas.
Security concerns in the region were heightened after Iran on Wednesday launched a missile attack on forces led by the United States in Iraq, in what Iranian state television said was an act of revenge for the killing of top general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike last week.