Egypt ordered all its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours early Thursday morning amid tensions between Israel and Iran.
The NOTAM, a safety notice sent to pilots on Wednesday, said the instruction would be in effect from 01:00 to 04:00 GMT. No further details were given on the reason for the notice being issued.
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“All Egyptian airlines must avoid flying over Tehran (Flight Information Region). Any flight plan over the said territory will not be accepted,” the notice said, referring to the three-hour period specified.
Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed later on Wednesday that the notice was aimed at reducing flight safety risks in light of a notification it received from Iranian authorities.
“Military exercises will be held over Iranian airspace on August 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and on August 8 from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Tehran time,” the statement said.
An employee of Luxor International Airport, wearing a protective face mask, walks next to an EgyptAir plane in Luxor, Egypt, April 9, 2021. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File photo)
The ministry's press release followed an unnamed source cited by state-run news channel Al Qahera News TV, which said Iranian authorities had been told to avoid flying in Iranian airspace due to “military exercises.”
Many airlines are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace, while cancelling flights to Israel and Lebanon, as many fear a wider conflict following the killing of senior members of the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
“This type of NOTAM from Egypt is very unusual. It is possible that it is an indicator of an Iranian response to Israel and, in turn, of a possible set of major airspace disturbances; at the same time, there may be another reason,” said OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares information on flight risks.
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On Sunday, Jordanian authorities asked all airlines landing at their airports to carry 45 minutes' worth of extra fuel.
Countries in the region, including Jordan, closed their airspace earlier this year amid airstrikes against Israel.
