Table of Contents :
- Impact on International Aviation
- What Effects has the war had on international aviation?
- What impact have the interruptions had on Indian Flights?
- Why are flights going to cost more?
- Has this ever occurred before?
Impact on Global Air Traffic:
Global air traffic is being significantly impacted by the fast intensifying confrontation between
Israel and Iran, especially on flights between Europe, West Asia, and South Asia.
Due to the shutdown of crucial airspace above nations like Israel, Iran, and Iraq, airlines were
compelled to reroute their flights, which increased fuel consumption, lengthened travel times,
and raised ticket prices.
What Effects has the war had on Global Air Traffic?
Numerous significant airlines have already modified their flight routes, including Deutsche
Lufthansa, British Airways, and Emirates.
Carriers started to reroute their itineraries out of Iraqi airspace on October 1 as rockets fired by
Iranian forces were directed towards Israel.
By that evening, FlightRadar24 reported that aircraft were rerouting through Saudi Arabia and
Egypt, avoiding Iran and Iraq. Airlines from Europe and Asia that fly over the region to connect to
destinations in India, Southeast Asia, and Europe have also been impacted by these diversions, in
addition to carriers operating in the conflict-ridden region.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption
to customers while assisting those impacted,” an Emirates representative stated. Similar worries
were expressed by Etihad Airways, which said that it is rerouting flights to avoid airspace closures
and that it is constantly monitoring the situation to ensure passenger safety.
What impact have the interruptions had on Indian Flights?
Due to Iran’s missile assaults against Israel on Tuesday, Lufthansa had to return its planes from
Frankfurt to Hyderabad and Mumbai to Germany in the middle of the trip, causing major
disruptions. LH 752 and LH 756 both made a U-turn over Turkey.
The passengers were left stranded when Lufthansa subsequently canceled the return flights to
India. “Due to the current security situation, we are no longer flying through the airspace of Iraq,
Iran, and Jordan,” a Lufthansa spokesperson said.
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Some flights have seen travel time increases of up to eight hours due to flight paths being
rerouted to avoid the conflict zone; this is especially the case for flights to India and Dubai.
Another significant airline, SWISS, has also disclosed modifications to their flight schedules.
The airline declared that, until at least the end of October, it will avoid flying across Jordanian,
Iraqi, and Iranian airspace.
According to a statement from SWISS, “this will increase flight times by up to 15 minutes on our
Dubai, India, and Southeast Asia services.” Due to an emergency, a flight from Zurich to Dubai
had to divert to Antalya, Turkey, where it refueled before continuing on its way.
Air India has also been affected, however without significant problems. According to an Air India
spokesman, “all of our flights, whether they are in the Middle East or any other part of our route
network, are assessed daily for any potential security or safety risks.” “If necessary, adjustments
are made to avoid risky areas with minimal impact on our continuous operations.”
Why are flights going to cost more?
Due to lengthier flight times and higher fuel consumption brought on by the airspace closures,
airlines’ operating expenses are rising. Passengers will probably pay more for their tickets as a result of these increased expenses.
Flights can be rerouted through other airspace, including over Saudi Arabia and the Sinai
Peninsula, but doing so adds hundreds of kilometers to some routes, which drives up fuel prices
dramatically.
Flights to Iraq and Iran have been temporarily suspended by Emirates and Qatar Airways, and in
many circumstances, the flights have been completely canceled. In total, 81 planes from 16 carriers were diverted in the first days following Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, according to FlightRadar24 data.
Due to airspace constraints, Qatar Airways has also halted flights to Iran and Iraq. Istanbul Airport is one of the most impacted hubs in the area, with 19 flights being diverted,
demonstrating how severe the impact is there. As long as tensions are high, airspace limitations may continue to exist in West Asia.
In preparation of Israeli retribution, Iran has already extended the shutdown of its airspace.
Other regional airspaces, like Jordan’s and Iraq’s, are still occasionally closed based on security
conditions.
Has this ever occurred before?
This circumstance is similar to what happened in 2022 when Russian airspace was closed down
after it invaded Ukraine. In order to avoid Russian airspace, airlines like Finnair, British Airways,
and Japan Airlines had to extend their flight times by up to four hours.
With the closing of airspace over West Asia, similar patterns are increasingly becoming seen.
Flights that formerly relied on direct routes across Iranian and Iraqi airspace between Europe and India or Southeast Asia are now being forced to take lengthier detours, forcing operational
expenses even higher. Particularly for flights to and from India, these diversions result in lengthier journey times and possible delays for passengers.
Currently, the majority of airlines advise customers to use their websites and applications to monitor the status of their flights. In order to be prepared for potential deviations, it’s also a good idea to keep an eye on flight trajectories using services like FlightRadar24.
