Armenia's civil aviation committee will not re-rout flights to avoid airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the Persian and Oman gulfs
09.01.2020,
10:23
Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee said in a Facebook post on Wednesday it will not re-rout the flights from Yerevan to avoid the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the Persian and Oman gulfs.
YEREVAN, January 9. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee said in a Facebook post on Wednesday it will not re-rout the flights from Yerevan to avoid the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the Persian and Oman gulfs.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Committee told Novosti-Armenia news agency that it was considering the expediency of continuing flights from Yerevan in the airspace of Iraq, Iran, the Persian and Oman gulfs after the crash of a Boeing-737 liner of Ukraine’s International Airline on January 8 in Tehran.
"The Civil Aviation Committee sees no reason to suspend the flights over the Iranian airspace. We continue monitoring the developments in the region of the Middle East and will inform the public about any changes," the Committee said in a statement.
It said they were in a permanent contact with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), and the aviation authorities of Russia and Ukraine.
The Committee also said that the next flight operated by Armenia Airways airline from Yerevan to Tehran is scheduled for January 10, and the flight by the UR company from Iraqi Erbil to Yerevan and back to Erbil is scheduled for January 12.
Earlier the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency recommended not using airspace over the Middle East for flights of civilian aircraft (including transit flights), while the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned non-military aircraft from flying in the region.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Alexey Goncharuk said on Wednesday that all Ukrainian airlines temporarily stopped flights in Iranian airspace. The decision was made until the reasons for the crash of the Boeing-737 liner of the Ukraine International Airlines on January 8th are clarified. All 168 passengers and 9 crew members aboard the plane were killed. The plane was heading from the Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran to Kiev.
Also, according to media reports, a number of major international air carriers - the Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Air France, Emirates and Flydubai, as well as China Southern Airlines, and Russian Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and S7- announced the termination of flights over the airspace of Iraq, Iran, over the Persian and Oman gulfs, or re-routing the flights.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran has been escalating since a US contractor was killed on an Iraqi airbase near the city of Kirkuk on 27 December. According to media reports, the American citizen was killed in a rocket attack by the Shia militia group Kata’ib Hezbollah, which is believed to be backed by Iran.
On early Wednesday Iran fired missiles at two bases in Iraq housing US troops in revenge for the US killing of General Qassem Soleimani. Responding to the attacks, US President Donald Trump tweeted, “All is well!” Trump said he would make a statement later Wednesday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strikes were a “slap in the face” of the US and called for a withdrawal of US troops in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the strikes were “proportionate measures” in response to Soleimani’s killing. -0-
Earlier on Wednesday, the Committee told Novosti-Armenia news agency that it was considering the expediency of continuing flights from Yerevan in the airspace of Iraq, Iran, the Persian and Oman gulfs after the crash of a Boeing-737 liner of Ukraine’s International Airline on January 8 in Tehran.
"The Civil Aviation Committee sees no reason to suspend the flights over the Iranian airspace. We continue monitoring the developments in the region of the Middle East and will inform the public about any changes," the Committee said in a statement.
It said they were in a permanent contact with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), and the aviation authorities of Russia and Ukraine.
The Committee also said that the next flight operated by Armenia Airways airline from Yerevan to Tehran is scheduled for January 10, and the flight by the UR company from Iraqi Erbil to Yerevan and back to Erbil is scheduled for January 12.
Earlier the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency recommended not using airspace over the Middle East for flights of civilian aircraft (including transit flights), while the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned non-military aircraft from flying in the region.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Alexey Goncharuk said on Wednesday that all Ukrainian airlines temporarily stopped flights in Iranian airspace. The decision was made until the reasons for the crash of the Boeing-737 liner of the Ukraine International Airlines on January 8th are clarified. All 168 passengers and 9 crew members aboard the plane were killed. The plane was heading from the Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran to Kiev.
Also, according to media reports, a number of major international air carriers - the Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Air France, Emirates and Flydubai, as well as China Southern Airlines, and Russian Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and S7- announced the termination of flights over the airspace of Iraq, Iran, over the Persian and Oman gulfs, or re-routing the flights.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran has been escalating since a US contractor was killed on an Iraqi airbase near the city of Kirkuk on 27 December. According to media reports, the American citizen was killed in a rocket attack by the Shia militia group Kata’ib Hezbollah, which is believed to be backed by Iran.
On early Wednesday Iran fired missiles at two bases in Iraq housing US troops in revenge for the US killing of General Qassem Soleimani. Responding to the attacks, US President Donald Trump tweeted, “All is well!” Trump said he would make a statement later Wednesday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strikes were a “slap in the face” of the US and called for a withdrawal of US troops in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the strikes were “proportionate measures” in response to Soleimani’s killing. -0-
