image sourced from original article at The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed airlines to avoid operating in nine Middle Eastern airspaces amid escalating regional tensions. The affected areas include Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The order comes in response to heightened risks following recent military strikes and retaliatory threats in the region.
Airlines have been instructed to refrain from flying through these airspaces at all altitudes. Operations over Oman and Saudi Arabia may continue under strict conditions, including maintaining a minimum altitude of 32,000 feet in specified areas. The regulator emphasized that any continued operations in the broader region must be based on comprehensive safety risk assessments.
Carriers operating to airports where international flights are still active must implement robust contingency planning. The advisory, which takes immediate effect and remains valid until March 28 unless revised, also calls for flight crews to be updated with the latest Notice to Airmen and airspace restrictions. The regulator warned that the evolving security situation poses significant hazards to civil aviation.
