U.S. Orders Airlines to Fly at Higher Altitudes Over Iraq: FAA Prohibits Flights Over Iraq Below 30,000 Feet

The Wall Street Journal
By Robert Wall
Updated Aug. 1, 2014 3:57 p.m. ET

The U.S. government told airlines flying over Iraq to remain at higher altitudes, amid growing concerns about carriers operating around conflict zones.

U.S. airlines are now prohibited from flying over Iraq below 30,000 feet, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The agency, which had previously restricted airlines from flying below 20,000, issued the new requirement because of "the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Iraq."

The guidance, which is mandatory for all U.S. airlines but not others, comes amid increased disquiet about airlines flying near conflict zones after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 jetliner was flying at 33,000 feet in airspace the Ukrainian government had said was safe when it was shot down by a suspected antiaircraft missile fired by pro-Russia separatist rebels. Russia denies the rebels downed the plane.

Some airlines have already opted to avoid Iraqi airspace altogether. European aviation safety regulators on Friday issued their own nonbinding safety bulletin on the country.

Air France said this week it stopped flying over Iraq, and Deutsche Lufthansa AG said late Friday it would suspend overflights and halt operations to the northern city of Erbil.

Virgin Atlantic Airways also has ceased flying over Iraq. "Safety and security is our top priority and we will always follow government advice in such matters," the carrier said.Emirates Airline, the world's largest by international traffic, said it is reviewing the situation.

Airlines generally operate along two trunk routes in eastern Iraq as they travel between Europe and the Persian Gulf hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, while others fly over the region to connect Europe and Southeast Asia.

The FAA's guidance on Iraq also requires planes taking off from countries neighboring Iraq to have reached 30,000 feet before traversing the country.

In another example of concerns about flying near conflict areas, the Cologne-based European Aviation Safety Agency warned airlines Friday about flights in Libya's airspace "taking into consideration the recent escalation of violence and the attacks on the Tripoli airport." The FAA has already issued a flight ban for airspace in the area.

The FAA last month also temporarily barred flights to Tel Aviv after a rocket struck near Ben Gurion International Airport. Some European carriers also suspended operations though others continued flying highlighting differences in risk assessments.

The air-safety arm of the United Nations on Tuesday convened a meeting to discuss the issue of operating around conflict zones. The meeting with airline, air-traffic control and airport representatives said they would "urgently review" ways to share information on flight risks.

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said Friday that "individual airlines have to remain in charge of making the final decision" on where to fly.

IAG's British Airways unit has continued flying over Iraq, but avoided the eastern Ukraine airspace even before the government shut those routes after the downing of Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that killed all 298 people on board.

"We constantly look at our operation and assess whether it is safe or unsafe to operate, and if we identify any areas where we consider to be unsafe we will stop flying there," Mr. Walsh said.

The key now is to find ways for airlines to better communicate flight risks among each other, Mr. Walsh said. "It would be helpful if it was easy for us to share that with one another," he added.

- Source: http://online.wsj.com