Qantas Airways has temporarily rerouted its flights between Perth and London due to escalating tensions in the Middle East region over potential conflict between Iran and Israel.
The Australian airline announced on Saturday that its nonstop QF-9 service from Perth to London would now make a stop in Singapore to refuel and avoid flying over Iranian airspace. The return QF-10 flight from London to Perth can still operate nonstop by adjusting its route.
“We’re temporarily adjusting the flight paths for our flights between Perth and London due to the situation in parts of the Middle East,” a Qantas spokesperson told Reuters. “We’ll reach out to customers directly if there’s any change to their booking.”
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner used for this route lacks the range to circumvent the Middle East entirely, necessitating the Singapore stopover.
The rerouting comes amid heightened fears that Iran could launch attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer in Damascus last week. Both the U.S. and Australia have issued travel warnings for the region.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs updated its advice on Friday, urging citizens to “reconsider your need to travel” to Israel and the Palestinian territories due to the “increased threat of military and terrorist attacks.”
While no Qantas flights have been canceled yet, the airline acknowledged potential “airspace closures, flight cancellations and flight diversions” that could cause further travel disruptions.
It remains unclear if Qantas’ planned new Perth-Paris route starting in July, or its seasonal Perth-Rome service, will also require rerouting pending the situation in the Middle East.
Other airlines may follow suit in rerouting flights away from Iranian airspace as a precautionary measure during this period of regional instability. Avoiding conflict zones is standard practice to ensure passenger and crew safety.
Source: Reuters, Australian Aviation, Simple Flying
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