FAA bans flying over Iraq, Iran and Gulf waters
By Steve Creedy Wed Jan 8, 2020
The United States has banned flights over Iraq, Iran and the Gulf of Oman due to increasing military action after the assassination of Iranian strongman General Qassam Suleimani.
Emergency orders issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration as Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) late Tuesday apply to all US carriers and commercial operators.
US carriers had already tended to avoid the trouble spot but the restrictions will likely be adopted by airlines and regulators from other countries.
READ: Boeing 737 crashes in Tehran.
The orders prohibit airlines from operating over the regions "due to heightened military activities and increased military activities in the Middle East which present an inadvertent risk to US civil operations due to the potential for miscalculation or misidentification".
"The FAA will continue closely monitoring events in the Middle East,'' the FAA said.
"We continue coordinating with our national security partners and sharing information with US carriers and foreign civil carriers."
The move comes after Iran launched a missile attack on at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US-led coalition personnel.
The FAA had previously prohibited US carriers from flying below 26,000ft over Iraq but had tougher restrictions for the other areas after a US drone was shot down.
Airlines have increased scrutiny of military conflict zones since the downing in 2014 of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014.
Website Flightradar24 noted several foreign airlines, including British Airways and Singapore Airlines offshoot Scoot, had rerouted flights to avoid the conflict zone.
Qantas was forced to off-load 90 passengers from its flagship Perth to London nonstop flight today after missile strikes in the Middle East forced it to adjust flight paths.
The airline has opted for a new flightpath over Pakistan and Afghanistan which adds 50 minutes to the flying time requiring extra fuel and a lighter payload.
Fifty passengers were off-loaded in Melbourne and 40 in Perth.
Qantas said the passengers affected were transferred to other Qantas flights or onto other airlines.
QF9 (Perth to London) and QF10 (London to Perth) are the only Qantas flights affected by the change and the altered flightpath.
However, due to the prevailing winds QF10 will operate with a full passenger load and the same flight time.
Qantas is now looking to route the flight via Hong Kong or Singapore so it can carry a full payload but this may take several days to set up, due to approvals.
The airline said that it would contact passengers affected.
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