Singapore Airlines, Scoot flights avoid Iranian airspace amid escalating tensions in Middle East
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All SIA and Scoot flights have used alternative flight paths since Aug 2, 2024.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its low-cost arm Scoot had stopped flying over Iranian airspace since August 2024, SIA said in response to measures being taken following Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran.
A spokesperson for SIA told The Straits Times that all SIA and Scoot flights have used alternative flight paths since Aug 2, 2024.
A spokesperson for the SIA Group said its top priority is the safety of customers and its employees.
“We will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East closely and will adjust our flight paths as needed,” the spokesperson added.
Israel launched widescale strikes against Iran on June 13
The strikes targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders. Israel said it was the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
In retaliation, Iran launched about 100 drones towards Israeli territory. It warned that it has a “legal and legitimate right” to respond to the attacks on multiple cities and nuclear facilities.
SIA Group said it regularly reviews the flight paths taken by aircraft based on multiple factors.
“These include weather conditions, safety and security considerations, advisories from international and regional bodies, insights from independent external security consultants, and regulatory restrictions,” said the spokesperson.
Data from global flight tracking service Flightradar24 showed that airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran and Iraq after Israel’s first attacks on Iran early on June 13.
Israeli flag carrier El Al said it had suspended flights to and from Israel.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defence units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.
Iranian airspace has also been closed, according to state media and notices to pilots.
Iraq early on June 13 closed its airspace and suspended all traffic at its airports, Iraqi state media reported.
Eastern Iraq near the border with Iran contains one of the world’s busiest air corridors, with dozens of flights crossing between Europe and the Gulf, many on routes from Asia to Europe, at any one moment.
Flights steadily diverted over Central Asia or Saudi Arabia, flight tracking data showed.
Jordan, which sits between Israel and Iraq, closed its airspace several hours after the Israeli campaign began.
Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary.
