Kazakhstan suspends flights over six Middle Eastern countries

The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan has announced a temporary suspension of flights over and near several Middle Eastern countries amid heightened security concerns.

In a statement addressing the situation in the Middle East, the ministry said the Civil Aviation Committee had imposed a complete ban on flights over, within and near the airspace of Iran, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon until further notice. The decision was taken due to a high level of threat to civil aviation safety, Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the ministry, the directive applies to all regular and non-regular passenger, cargo and technical flights operated by Kazakh aircraft operators.

Kazakh airlines have begun adjusting their schedules in response to the restrictions. The carrier SCAT Airlines has cancelled all flights to the Middle East scheduled for February 28 and March 1.

The ministry added that airlines and airports were informing passengers of the changes through multiple channels, including SMS and email notifications, push alerts in mobile applications, official websites and social media platforms, as well as through call centres and information services.

By Sabina Mammadli