Amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, Egypt instructed all its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours early on Thursday.
A NOTAM, a safety notice distributed to pilots on Wednesday, said the instructions were in effect between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. GMT. No further details were given about why the notice was issued.
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“All Egyptian airlines must avoid flying over Tehran (Flight Information Region). No flight plans over the area will be approved” for the specified three-hour period, the notice said.
Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry later confirmed on Wednesday that the notification was aimed at reducing flight safety risks following a notification it received from Iranian authorities.
“The military exercises will be conducted in Iranian airspace from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on August 7 and from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tehran time on August 8,” the statement said.
An employee at Luxor International Airport wears a protective mask as he walks next to an EgyptAir plane in Luxor, Egypt, on April 9, 2021. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Darsh/File Photo)
The ministry’s press statement came after state-run Al-Qahera News TV, citing anonymous sources, said Iranian authorities had ordered planes to avoid flights over Iranian airspace due to “military exercises.”
Many airlines, fearing the possibility of wider conflict following the killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, have rescheduled to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace, while flights to Israel and Lebanon have also been cancelled.
“Such a NOTAM from Egypt is highly unusual. It could be a sign of an Iranian reaction against Israel, which could result in major airspace disruption. At the same time, there could be other reasons as well,” said OPSGROUP, a member-based organization that shares flight risk information.
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Jordanian authorities on Sunday asked all airlines landing at the country’s airports to carry an extra 45 minutes’ worth of fuel.
Countries in the region, including Jordan, closed their airspace following air attacks on Israel earlier this year.
