ALBAWABA - As a prompt reaction to the Iranian strike with estimated 150 and 200 ballistic missiles falling on Israel, the airspaces of Iraq, Jordan, and Iran were briefly closed. The restrictions, which were established for concerns of safety, caused disruptions to air traffic and brought a stop to operations at important airports in the area.
According to the official Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry of Transportation in Iraq issued an order to close the country's airspace, claiming the need to "maintain the safety of aerial navigation." In addition, the ministry directed that all aviation traffic at Iraqi airports be temporarily halted.
In a similar manner, the civil aviation authority of Jordan followed suit by halting all flight travel and sealing its airspace. Initially, as a preventive measure in the midst of the attack that was developing, the Jordanian airspace was closed to both arrivals and departures.
Later on, the Jordanian Armed Forces reopened the airspace, stating that the closure was essential in order to guarantee the security of aviation traffic during a time when tensions were at an all-time peak.
Late on Tuesday, the authorities at Tehran International Airport in Iran put a stop to all domestic and international planes, both arriving and departing. worries that the increasing tensions in the Middle East would lead to the possibility of retribution led to the decision to take this action, AFP reported citing Iranian media.
In the meanwhile, leading European airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, and Swiss have extended their suspension of flights to the Middle East in response to the increasing tensions in the area. This comes as Israel's continued attacks on Beirut and the threats of an Iranian missile assault on Israel have increased the level of uncertainty in the region.
KLM has decided to continue suspending flights to Tel Aviv until the end of the year, while Lufthansa has decided to stop flights to Beirut until November 30 and flights to Tel Aviv until October 31. A further announcement was made by the Lufthansa group, which includes Swiss International Air Lines, that it would refrain from entering the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Jordan until the beginning of October.
