The European Union Aviation Safety Agency warns of high risk to civil flights in Iran’s airspace due to military tensions and air defence systems.
BRUSSELS: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recommended that airlines avoid Iran’s airspace.
The agency issued a bulletin on Friday citing a high risk to civil aviation from air defence systems and unpredictable state responses.
This advisory follows heightened regional tensions over Iran’s deadly crackdown on protests and threats of US intervention.
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“*The presence and possible use of a wide range of weapons and air-defence systems, combined with unpredictable state responses … creates a high risk to civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels*,” EASA stated.
Protests over economic hardship that began in late December escalated into widespread anti-government demonstrations.
While the crackdown has broadly quelled protests for now, US threats to intervene if killings continue persist.
EASA warned that heightened Iranian air defence alerts increase the likelihood of misidentification of civilian aircraft.
Iran had reopened its airspace on Wednesday after a near five-hour closure due to military concerns.
Major European carriers like Wizz Air, Lufthansa and British Airways continued avoiding the region on Thursday.
This caution recalls the January 2020 downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet by an Iranian missile, which killed 176 people.
Iranian authorities later attributed that tragedy to human error during a period of military tension with the US. – Reuters
