KUWAIT • The recent missile attack on United States bases in Iraq and the downing of a Ukrainian flight in Iran have not deterred Gulf airlines from flying to and using the airspace of both countries.
Qatar Airways, Emirates and several other Gulf airlines still fly in Iraqi and Iranian airspace and to cities in both countries, even as other international carriers have rerouted planes since the US and Iran traded military strikes.
Executives and analysts said carriers in the Gulf, a major transit stop between European and Asian destinations, have few alternative routes to choose from in an area where much of the airspace is kept clear of civilian aircraft for military use.
In the latest flare-up, a US drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Iraq on Jan 3 and Iran fired missiles at US targets in Iraq on Jan 8.
In the tense aftermath, Iran's air defences accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner.
Rerouting flights hurts profits, but airlines say they take every precaution to keep passengers safe.
"Iranian airspace is important for all carriers in this region," said Mr Adil al-Ghaith, Emirates' senior vice-president of commercial operations for the Gulf, the Middle East and Iran.
Dubai-based Emirates and its sister carrier flydubai together serve 10 cities in Iran and Iraq, and have continued to use the airspace of both countries for other flights.
Kuwait Airways and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways have continued using Iranian and Iraqi airspace.
"We will continue to fly to Iran because Iran is an important country to us and it is our neighbour and we want to serve the people of Iran," said Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar al-Baker.
The Qatari state carrier turned to Iranian airspace to keep its network which flies through its Doha hub operating.
At the same time, many other international carriers have rerouted flights to avoid Iraq and Iran since the military strikes this month, including Lufthansa, Air France, Singapore Airlines and Qantas.
Some regional carriers have also rerouted or changed their routes.
Bahrain's Gulf Air has redirected European flights away from Iraqi airspace and now flies longer, more fuel-consuming routes over Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
"We want to take the safest option even if it costs us a little bit more for a period of time. We can live with that," Gulf Air deputy chief executive Waleed Abdulhameed al-Alawi told Reuters.
The United Arab Emirates regulator told its carriers - Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia - this month to "evaluate flight path risks", although it said it was up to the airlines to make the final decision on the routes they chose.
REUTERS
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