KLM avoids Iran, Iraq, Jordan airspace as Middle East violence escalates

KLM is continuing its flights to Asia but is avoiding the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Jordan as the violence between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries escalates. The Dutch airline found an alternative route over Afghanistan for six scheduled flights to Asia on Tuesday evening, a spokesperson told the Telegraaf.

Earlier in the day, KLM suspended all flights to Israel until the end of the year. The violence in the Middle East is escalating almost a year after Israel started a massive bombing and ground attack campaign in Gaza in retaliation to a Hamas attack on October 7 last year. Israel is now also attacking Lebanon, and on Tuesday, Iran fired missiles at Israel.

Other airlines have been avoiding Israel and Lebanon for some time. KLM subsidiary Transavia stopped flights to Beirut at the end of July and hasn’t flown to Israel since October last year.

Over the weekend, the European Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned of “a general intensification of airstrikes and deterioration of the security situation.” Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have left only a narrow corridor for flights to Asia.