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Luchtvaartmaatschappijen vliegen over Afghanistan in plaats van over Iran
August 23, 2024 - Commercial airlines begin flying over Afghanistan rather than Iran, airspace now deemed more hazardous due to its hostilities with Israel, which include missile attacks and assassinations.
Commercial passenger carriers including Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways, Air France-KLM and others have begun flying over Afghanistan rather than Iran, which they now deem more dangerous.
Three years ago, when the Taliban took over Afghanistan, airlines stopped flying over the country, believing it hazardous.
Now, with hostilities between Israel and Iran at boiling point, some major carriers have switched back to transiting Afghanistan which has no air traffic control. Pilots are however advised to stay above 32,000 feet where surface-to-air weapons are considered less effective.
According to flight tracking group Flightradar24, flight plan changes began in mid-April during missile and drone attacks between Iran and Israel, but the main growth began after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah in late July.
The air industry is rightly cautious and mindful of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.
Airlines are under pressure to save money on fuel on flights between Europe and Asia after Russia closed its overflight air corridors following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.