Airlines avoiding Middle East airspace after US bombs Iran
Airlines are continuing to reroute flights away from significant swathes of Middle Eastern airspace, following recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and ongoing missile exchanges in the region.
The persistent avoidance of these key flight corridors was evident on Sunday, according to data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
FlightRadar24 confirmed the situation on social media platform X, stating: "Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week."
The website's live tracking data showed a clear absence of commercial flights over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel. Instead, carriers are opting for alternative routings, either north via the Caspian Sea or south through Egypt and Saudi Arabia. These detours, while ensuring safety, come at a cost, resulting in higher fuel and crew expenses, alongside extended flight times for passengers and cargo.
At about 8 p.m. ET, Trump put out a message on his Truth Social website saying that 'very successful' strikes had been carried out on the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,' Trump said in a brief address on Saturday evening.
Missile and drone barrages in an expanding number of conflict zones globally represent a high risk to airline traffic.
Since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, carriers have suspended flights to destinations in the affected countries, though there have been some evacuation flights from neighbouring nations and some bringing stranded Israelis home.
Japan 's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had evacuated 21 people, including 16 Japanese nationals, from Iran overland to Azerbaijan. It said it was the second such evacuation since Thursday and that it would conduct further evacuations if necessary.
New Zealand's government said on Sunday it would send a Hercules military transport plane to the Middle East on standby to evacuate New Zealanders from the region.
It said in a statement that government personnel and a C-130J Hercules aircraft would leave Auckland on Monday. The plane would take some days to reach the region, it said.
The government was also in talks with commercial airlines to assess how they may be able to assist, it added.
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