International Airlines Returning To Iranian Airspace As Regional Tensions Ease - Reports

International Airlines Returning to Iranian Airspace As Regional Tensions Ease - Reports

The number of international airlines flying through Iranian airspace is on the rise as regional tensions, which surged in January following the death of a top Iranian commander and the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger aircraft in Tehran, have cooled, the country's Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday citing a senior aviation official

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2020) The number of international airlines flying through Iranian airspace is on the rise as regional tensions, which surged in January following the death of a top Iranian commander and the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger aircraft in Tehran, have cooled, the country's Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday citing a senior aviation official.

On Saturday, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relaxed rules for civil aircraft, allowing them to fly routes across the Persian Gulf. The FAA stated that there was a significantly reduced risk of the Iranian military shooting down a passenger jet by mistake, although US airlines were urged to exercise caution flying near Iran and Iraq.

The EU Aviation Safety Agency gave permission for European carriers to use Iraqi and Iranian airspace on January 29, although aircraft are strictly restricted to fly in two specific corridors, and to not descend below 25,000 feet. Managing Director of Iran Airports Company Siavash Amirmokri said that international airlines are returning to Iranian airspace because the most economical route between Europe and Asia necessitates flying over the country, the agency reported.

On January 8, a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 jet crashed near Tehran shortly after takeoff killing all 176 people on board. Iran said that it had unintentionally downed the aircraft having confused it with a hostile cruise missile amid fears of US retaliation for Iran's missile attacks on bases hosting US troops in Iraq.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami was quoted by Iran's Borna news agency as saying the black box retrieved from the crash site of the Ukrainian airliner was noticeably damaged.

Tehran launched the missile attacks after a US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport on January 3.