BA and Qantas join U.S carriers in rerouting planes from Strait of Hormuz

[brooklynite]

Daily Mail

Some global airlines, including British Airways, Qantas, Air France, Emirates and KLM, are re-routing flights to avoid Iran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

The move comes after Iran took down a high-altitude U.S. drone with a surface-to-air missile, sparking concerns about the safety threat to commercial airlines.

Opsgroup, which provides guidance to operators, said: 'The threat of a civil aircraft shootdown in southern Iran is real.'

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has barred its carriers from the area until further notice.

[RHMerriman]

1. Well, that's wise ...

Well, that's wise ...

Presume there's a southern corridor overland from the Gulf states via Saudi and Omani airspace for flights to Pakistan, India, and further eastwards that is significantly less "conflicted" than due east.

[brooklynite]

2. Probably creates some issues for El Al's asia routes. Can't go too far south or north

[RHMerriman]

3. Presume they'll figure it out

Presume they'll figure it out. They fly 767s Tel Aviv to Mumbai, I believe.

[unc70]

4. El Al to BOM now over water

The Tel Aviv-Mumbai flights are now being route down the Red Sea and then over water the rest of the flight. They had been turning east over land near the southern border of SA. They are using 777-200s.

The real traffic jam is all the flights in and out of Dubai.

BTW Air France CDG-BOM is at this moment over interior Iran.

And remember it was the US that shot down the Iranian airliner.

[customerserviceguy]

5. Good plan

I'm figuring that the Iranians are getting desperate to get back to the negotiating table to end the sanctions, and would be willing to jack the crisis up several notches to do so.