Middle East Conflict Disrupts Air Traffic Routes

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is affecting both maritime and air transportation. According to Ming Pao, the recent drone attack by Iran on Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan region last Thursday has led to the closure of Azerbaijan's southern airspace, further compressing flight paths for Eurasian routes. Data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 indicates congestion in a 100-kilometer-wide flight area in northern Azerbaijan. Since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, Western airlines have been avoiding Russian airspace. Now, flights must also steer clear of Iranian and Iraqi airspace, forcing them to take alternative routes either further south or north. These adjustments result in longer and busier flight paths, increasing both travel time and fuel consumption.