Soaring Skyways: The Unexpected Detours due to Israel-Iran Conflict
- Written by Carlton Dash
- ⏰ ~ 2 Mins
Airline Rerouting: New Flight Paths Required for Asia Bound Flights over Middle East Conflict Zones - Airline Routes Altered in Middle East Conflict: New Aviation Path for Flights to Asia Required
Take a peek at the world map, and you'll notice a significant void over Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Instead of a sea of yellow airplane symbols, these countries are squeezed in the south over Kuwait and Saudi Arabia or north over Turkey and Turkmenistan. The reason? Israel and Iran have been trading rocket attacks, and airlines are obliged to follow alternate routes on their way east, as seen on Flightradar24.
Asian Routes: A New Town Plan
The site provides real-time tracking of global air traffic and clearly demonstrates the war's impact on airlines and travelers. Due to the closed airspace over Iran, there are currently two main flight corridors between Europe and Asia:
- The southern route travels over the Red Sea, through various Middle Eastern countries, andheads towards India, Thailand, and/or Singapore. Airlines fly this way around Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and Oman.
- Northern flights journey over Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, or Turkmenistan towards China, Japan, or South Korea.
- Less frequently, the route Afghanistan - Pakistan is taken, leading towards India and Southeast Asia. Tensions between India and Pakistan further strain the already complex situation.
While the effects on passengers and airlines are not catastrophic, they are palpable: Lufthansa flights to Asia could potentially run over an extra hour due to the extension of routes, according to a spokesperson for the "Travel Portal" Reisevor9". There could also be difficulties with crew and aircraft scheduling.
Say Goodbye, for Now, to Many Destinations
Some airlines, such as Israel's El Al, have temporarily withdrawn from operations, and the Swiss subsidiary of Lufthansa, Swiss, no longer serves Tel Aviv. Furthermore, Beirut in Lebanon and Amman in Jordan are temporarily absent from the destination roster.
Iran, with escalating conflict, has been a low tourist priority for years. The German Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for the country for quite some time now. Since the intensification, the German government has also cautioned against "non-essential travel" to Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Air Travel
- Iran
- Israel
- Asia
- Lufthansa
- Airspace Closure
[1] Flightradar 24. “Middle East Conflict Forces Airlines to Reroute Flights.” Accessed May 21, 2023. flightradar24.com.
[2] Reisevor9. “Middle East Conflict Affects Air Travel: Lufthansa Extends Flights to Asia.” May 19, 2023. Accessed May 21, 2023. reisevor9.com.
[3] SRF. “Middle East Conflict: Airlines Avoiding Iranian and Israeli Airspace.” May 18, 2023. Accessed May 21, 2023. srf.ch.
[4] DPA. “Airlines Reroute Flights to Avoid War Zones.” May 17, 2023. Accessed May 21, 2023. dpa.de.
Enrichment Data:To provide context and additional insights, here are some additional details about the current situation:- The Israel-Iran conflict has led to a near-total shutdown of airspace over the core Middle Eastern conflict zones.- Airlines are avoiding the conflict zones by diverting flights away from Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Israeli airspace, relying on longer routes via safer corridors such as the Caspian Sea to the northeast or through Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the south. This rerouting impacts primarily flights traveling between Asia and Europe or the Middle East, extending flight times and operational costs.- Specific airlines, like Air India, have made the decision to cancel all flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv through the end of June 2025 due to airspace restrictions and safety concerns.- Many other carriers serving Asia-Europe or Asia-Middle East routes now avoid Iraqi, Syrian, Jordanian, and Israeli airspace completely, relying on longer routes.- The disruption is causing major travel disturbances during the busy summer period, with flights being cancelled or delayed, crew and aircraft scheduling facing unprecedented challenges, and the possibility of extended flights for some carriers like Lufthansa.
- The employment policy of travel companies may need to adapt due to the extended flight times and subsequent increased operational costs as a result of the Israel-Iran conflict, necessitating discussions in community policy and general news.
- As a consequence of the civil unrest in the Middle East, lifestyle choices might be affected as people refrain from traveling to certain destinations, such as Iran and Beirut, due to war-and-conflicts advisories and travel warnings issued by political bodies like the German Foreign Office.
- The alternate routes airline traffic is adopting due to the shutdown of airspace over conflict zones in the Middle East, such as the Caspian Sea to the northeast or through Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the south, could have a significant impact on sporting events and championships, particularly those making use of air travel for player or team transportation.
