Norwegian and a number of major airlines have diverted their flights over Iran and Iraq following a Ukrainian plane allegedly having been shot by Iran outside Tehran.
Major companies such as Lufthansa announced that they will not fly over Iranian and Iraqi airspace. Air France and Austrian Airlines also have decided to rerout their flights. Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines also write they will avoid Iranian airspace. A number of other airlines have also redirected the flights.
US aviation authorities have banned all US pilots and companies from flying over Iranian and Iraqi airspace.
Russian transport authorities on Wednesday instructed the country’s airlines not to fly over Iran, Iraq, Oman and the Gulf of Persia.
Norwegian will avoid Iran despite longer flight
Norwegian wrote in an email to NRK that they are looking for an alternative route for their flight to Dubai.
-The safety of our passengers and crew is always the highest priority, the company writes.
Primarily flights to and from Asia and Australia from the air hubs in Dubai and Doha have been affected by the airlines ceasing to fly over Iran.
Missile attack and crisis between USA and Iran
The companies’ diversions come after Iran fired missiles at two Iraqi military bases and a Ukrainian passenger plane was allegedly hit by one of these missiles outside Iran’s capital Tehran.
More than 170 people on board were killed in the attack. Canada and UK suggested that the evidences show the plane was shut down by one of the missiles from Iran.
US media have speculated that the timing of the crash suggests the plane may have been mistaken for a US warplane.
Victims included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 20 Swedish and 11 Ukrainians as wall as antionals from UK, Germany and Afghanistan.