The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran is throwing a wrench into global air travel, particularly on routes between Europe, West Asia, and South Asia. As tensions rise, vital airspace over countries like Iran, Iraq, and Israel has been closed, leaving airlines scrambling to reroute flights. This has resulted in longer journey times, higher fuel consumption, and ultimately, more expensive tickets for passengers.
The airspace restrictions are a direct consequence of the growing tensions, fueled by missile attacks launched by Iran on Israel. Airlines, prioritizing passenger safety, have been forced to avoid these volatile regions. Several major carriers, including British Airways, Emirates, and Deutsche Lufthansa, have already adjusted their flight paths.
On October 1st, as rockets were fired at Israel by Iranian forces, airlines swiftly began diverting their routes away from Iraqi airspace. FlightRadar24 data showed planes taking new routes via Saudi Arabia and Egypt, completely bypassing Iran and Iraq. These diversions have not only affected airlines operating within the conflict region but also European and Asian carriers connecting to destinations in India, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Emirates, a major airline, has stated, “We are closely monitoring the situation and are making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to customers while assisting those impacted.” Etihad Airways echoed similar concerns, emphasizing its commitment to passenger safety by continuously monitoring the evolving situation and rerouting flights to avoid airspace closures.
Impact on Flights to India
Lufthansa faced significant disruptions when its flights from Frankfurt to Hyderabad and Mumbai had to turn back to Germany mid-flight on Tuesday after Iran launched missile attacks on Israel. Both flights, LH 752 and LH 756, had to turn back over Turkey. Lufthansa subsequently canceled the return flights to India, leaving passengers stranded. A Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed, “Due to the current security situation, we are no longer flying through the airspaces of Iraq, Iran, and Jordan.”
The rerouting of flights to avoid the conflict zone has led to an increase in travel times of up to eight hours for some flights, particularly affecting routes to India and Dubai. SWISS, another major carrier, has also announced changes to its flight plans. The airline stated that it will bypass Iranian, Iraqi, and Jordanian airspace until at least the end of October. “This will increase flight times by up to 15 minutes on our Dubai, India, and Southeast Asia services,” SWISS said in a statement. A Zurich-Dubai flight was forced to divert to Antalya, Turkey, where it refueled before continuing its journey.
Air India, while impacted, has managed to avoid major disruptions. “All our flights are assessed daily for any potential security or safety risks, whether it is in the Middle East or any other part of our route network,” an Air India official said. “Adjustments are made, if required, to avoid areas of risk with minimal impact on our non-stop operations.”
Why Flights Will Get Pricier
The airspace closures are driving up operational costs for airlines due to increased fuel consumption and longer flight durations. These additional costs will likely be passed on to passengers in the form of higher ticket prices. Rerouting flights through alternative airspaces, such as over the Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia, adds hundreds of kilometers to certain routes, pushing up fuel costs significantly.
Emirates and Qatar Airways have temporarily suspended flights to Iraq and Iran, and in some cases, have canceled flights altogether. FlightRadar24 data shows that in the first days following Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, 81 flights from 16 airlines were diverted. Emirates, in particular, has been getting creative with diversion airports as Cairo, Antalya, and others fill up. Flights diverting away from closed Iraqi airspace are stopping for fuel and generally continuing via Egypt/Saudi Arabia.
Qatar Airways has also suspended flights to Iraq and Iran due to airspace closures. The effect is particularly pronounced at Istanbul Airport, where 19 flights were diverted, making it one of the most affected hubs in the region.
Looking Ahead
Airspace restrictions in West Asia could persist as long as tensions remain high. Iran has already extended the closure of its airspace in anticipation of Israeli retaliation, and other regional airspaces, such as Jordan’s and Iraq’s, remain subject to intermittent closures depending on the security situation.
This situation echoes the disruptions caused by the closure of Russian airspace following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Airlines such as Japan Airlines, British Airways, and Finnair were forced to add up to four hours of flight time to avoid Russian airspace. Similar patterns are now emerging with the closure of airspace in West Asia. Flights that previously relied on direct routes through Iranian and Iraqi airspace between Europe and India or Southeast Asia are now being forced to take longer detours, pushing operational costs even higher.
For passengers, these diversions mean longer travel times and potential delays, particularly for flights to and from India. As of now, most airlines recommend that travelers keep track of their flight status via airline apps and websites. It’s also advisable to monitor flight paths on platforms like FlightRadar24 to anticipate any deviations.
