UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and more: Directorate of Civil Aviation tells airlines to avoid 9 airspaces as tensions rise in Middle East

NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday directed airlines to avoid nine airspaces in the war-torn Gulf region and prepare robust contingency plans, citing heightened risks due to ongoing conflicts in the region.In an announcement, the General Administration of Civil Aviation asked airlines to avoid the airspace of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.Indian airlines may continue to operate over Oman and Saudi Arabia subject to conditions. Regulators say flights are not allowed to fly below FL 320, or 32,000 feet, in certain parts of those airspaces.Regarding these nine airspaces, the Civil Aviation Administration of China requires airlines to “not operate in the affected airspace…at all flight altitudes and altitudes.”

It added that any continued operations would be at the discretion of the operator based on its safety risk assessment.“As part of the operator’s safety risk assessment, other international airlines currently operating from airports in the affected areas must have robust contingency plans in place to deal with all eventualities,” the DGCA said, news agency PTI reported.The advice takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until March 28 unless reviewed or superseded.“Operators are advised to provide flight crews with information on the latest NOTAMs and airspace restrictions affecting flights already in operation,” the report said.NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) provides real-time updates on airspace and airport conditions.“Recent military strikes by the United States and Israel against targets in Iran have resulted in a high-risk environment for civil aviation. In response to these attacks, Iran has announced retaliatory measures,” the General Administration of Civil Aviation said, warning that the situation poses a serious danger to civilian flight operations.