Commercial airlines begin flying over Afghanistan instead of Iran, airspace now considered more dangerous due to hostilities with Israel that include missile attacks.
Commercial enger carriers including Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways, Air -KLM and others have begun flying over Afghanistan instead of Iran, which they now consider more dangerous.
Three years ago, when the Taliban took over Afghanistan, airlines stopped flying over the country, believing it was dangerous.
Now, with hostilities between Israel and Iran at a boil, some major carriers have returned to transit through Afghanistan, which has no air traffic control. However, pilots are advised to remain above 32.000 feet, where surface-to-air weapons are considered less effective.
According to flight tracking group Flightradar24, flight plan changes began in mid-April during missile and drone strikes between Iran and Israel, but the main growth began after the deaths of senior of Hamas and Hezbollah at the end of July.
The airline industry is rightly cautious and aware of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.
Airlines are under pressure to save money on fuel on flights between Europe and Asia after Russia closed its overflight corridors following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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