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Airlines avoid Iranian airspace, raising flight times and fuel expenses

Airlines are mostly avoiding Iranian airspace in their flights over the Middle East, according to flight tracker FlightRadar24, lengthening flight times and hiking up fuel costs as concerns over a retaliatory attack from Israel targeting Iran grow.

Chaos in the Middle East in the in 2015 has actually resulted in confusion and upheaval for air travel, prompting airlines to regularly change paths as they reassess the safety of the airspace in the area.

Most airlines have actually rerouted flights away from Iran, with the northern path taking flights through Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India on their way to Asia, and the southern path flying over Egypt and Saudi Arabia, said FlightRadar24 representative Ian Petchenik.

Some airline companies have said they have resumed the majority of their operations throughout the Middle East since Iran struck Israel with a. ballistic rocket attack on Tuesday, causing flight. cancellations and delays.

Petchenik stated a lot of tactical changes to flights to prevent. parts of the Middle East have been lifted in direct connection. with the Tuesday attack.

Late on Wednesday, German group Lufthansa said it. would resume flights to Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan using a limited. amount of Iraqi airspace, and will resume utilizing Jordanian. airspace on Thursday.

It included that flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Tehran will. remain suspended for the time being.

(source: Reuters)