Airlines reroute over Afghanistan amid rising Middle East tensions

In response to increasing instability in the Middle East, airlines like Singapore Airlines, British Airways, and Lufthansa have increased their flights over Afghanistan, a route that had been largely avoided for years.

The shift in flight paths comes as the skies between Iran and Israel, already fraught with tension, become perceived as riskier than Afghan airspace, Caliber.Az reports citing exclusive material by Reuters.

After the Taliban took control three years ago, most carriers stopped transiting Afghanistan due to the suspension of air traffic control services. While these services have yet to resume, the ongoing Middle East conflict has made Afghanistan's airspace appear safer in comparison. Initially, many airlines rerouted their flights through Iran and other parts of the Middle East after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 closed Russian airspace to most Western carriers. However, the recent escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel has prompted a re-evaluation of flight routes.

Ian Petchenik, a spokesperson for the flight tracking organization Flightradar24, explained, "As conflicts have evolved, the calculus of which airspace to use has changed. Airlines are seeking to mitigate risk as much as possible and they see overflying Afghanistan as the safer option given the current tensions between Iran and Israel."

According to a Reuters analysis of Flightradar24 data, the number of flights over Afghanistan in the second week of August was more than seven times higher than during the same period a year ago. The increase in flights over Afghanistan began in mid-April amid reciprocal missile and drone attacks between Iran and Israel. This trend accelerated further following the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in late July, which heightened fears of a broader escalation.

Lufthansa Group confirmed that it resumed flights over Afghanistan in early July. Other airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways, and the Air France-KLM group have also increased their overflights since April, choosing specific routes and maintaining high altitudes to ensure safety. British Airways, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines did not respond to requests for comment on the changes.