EASA warns European airlines against using Gulf airspace as US-Iran tensions escalate

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has advised European airlines to avoid using the airspace over the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar from 14 July until 29 July, unless its advice is updated earlier.

The area covered by the advisory also includes the Gulf of Oman within the Muscat Flight Information Region, west of 58 degrees east longitude.

The advice comes as tensions between the United States and Iran escalate once again, despite a tentative ceasefire being signed just weeks ago.

With overnight strikes being carried out by both sides and the political rhetoric reaching new levels,  airlines are being warned that there is a real and present danger to aviation operations in the prescribed regions.

EASA advises EU airlines against using Gulf airspace

In its Conflict Zone Information Bulletin released on 14 July, EASA said it was applying its recommendation across every altitude and flight level following a revised regional risk assessment of the deteriorating situation.

While individual countries retain authority over their airspace, EASA’s guidance effectively advises airlines under its oversight to stay out of many of the region’s aviation corridors.

EASA said repeated recent violations of the US-Iran ceasefire had again created a high level of risk across the Gulf, to which airlines (and their insurers) should adhere.

All EU airlines operating under Regulation 965 of 2012 fall within the bulletin’s scope. Third country carriers authorised by EASA also fall within the scope when operating services to, from or within the EU.

Both groups are instructed to monitor aeronautical publications and instructions issued by national authorities for threat levels and further updates.

Operators following the instruction must exclude affected sectors from route construction until EASA changes or withdraws its recommendation.

European carriers serving the Gulf cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama and Kuwait City are required to assess every rotation against the exclusion, with the acceptable available responses being rerouting, rescheduling and temporary suspension where approved corridors cannot support planned services.

Additionally, in accordance with the EU guidance, airline dispatch teams must recalculate block times, fuel uplift, diversion airports and crew duty limits before releasing any affected flights. Longer routings consume additional aircraft hours and can therefore impact future flight schedules.

Airlines should plan for misconnects at major Gulf hub airports

EASA advises that, in addition to amending operations in the Gulf region, carriers should plan for missed passenger connections via hubs in the case of sporadic or short-term airspace closures, adding that rapid regional developments can leave operators with limited time for tactical rerouting or other alternatives.

It added that Passenger information must be kept fully up to date with live flight information and that all passengers must be advised in advance to check with the airline (using their flight number as a reference) before travelling to airports.

EASA is updating airlines as the situation unfolds

The agency issued the tougher warning less than a week after allowing a broader Middle East and Persian Gulf bulletin to expire. While EASA issued a regional information note on 8 July covering Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia, that notice asked operators to account for potential risk in routing decisions through 31 August.

However, this latest advice introduces a stronger non-operational recommendation across the four Gulf flight regions.

The risk language used in the bulletin concentrates on the rapid military escalation, activated air defence systems, shortened advance warning periods and restricted tactical rerouting windows.

Airlines will receive a fixed planning horizon until 29 July,  while EASA retains authority to review the bulletin earlier as regional conditions and official airspace measures change.

The path to recovery now looks increasingly unclear

Until this week, the Gulf region had slowly been recovering from months of upheaval since the US-Iran War broke out on 28 February earlier this year. Airlines had been slowly piecing schedules back together while the region’s major airports had been seeing improvements in the number of passengers and tonnes of cargo handled.

Now, with the conflict escalating once again and no long-term settlement in sight, it would appear that the prevailing uncertainty will last even longer. Advice and guidance, such as that issued by EASA, will certainly prolong a return to the normal status quo.  

As a conclusion to its guidance, EASA advised airlines to continue monitoring regional airspace developments and to follow notices issued by national aviation authorities. In the meantime, separate EASA bulletins advising airlines not to operate in the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon remain in effect through to 31 August.