Airlines continue avoiding Middle East airspace after US strikes on Iran

Airlines continued to avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel on Sunday following recent US airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed commercial traffic being diverted via the Caspian Sea to the north and through Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the south. These alternate routes are resulting in longer flight times, increased fuel consumption, and higher operational costs for carriers.

"Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week," FlightRadar24 said on social media platform X. Its live flight maps showed that the affected airspace remains largely empty of international commercial flights.

Since Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on June 13, several airlines have suspended services to destinations within the region. Although some evacuation flights have operated from neighboring countries, most carriers have withdrawn scheduled passenger services from the affected airspace. Israel’s airports authority confirmed that the country’s airspace remains closed for all flights, though land crossings with Egypt and Jordan are still open.

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday it had evacuated 21 individuals, including 16 Japanese nationals, from Iran to Azerbaijan via a land route. This was the second evacuation of its kind since Thursday. The ministry said it would continue evacuations if necessary, depending on conditions in the region.

New Zealand’s government also confirmed it is deploying a C-130J Hercules military transport aircraft to the Middle East, along with government personnel. The aircraft is scheduled to leave Auckland on Monday and will take several days to reach its destination. The government is also coordinating with commercial airlines to assess possible support for the evacuation of New Zealand nationals.