AIRLINES BYPASS GULF WAR ZONE
International airlines have started to bypass Iraq and the Persian Gulf area due to increased military activity in the region.
Alternative routes were identified by the International Civil Aviation Organization, in coordination with its contracting states and the International Air Transport Association.
“The alternative routes circumvent the Gulf area to the north and to the south so as to provide for the safety of civilian flights, with minimum disruption to normal airline operations,” ICAO said. “The objective is to maintain the flow of traffic on the major international air routes between Europe and Southeast Asia.”