Flights avoid airspaces over Iran, Ukraine amid escalating tensions

Noticeable gaps in air traffic could be seen over Iran and Ukraine due to escalating tensions involving Iran, Israel, Russia, and Ukraine. On June 13, Israel launched a missile attack on Iran. In retaliation, Iran targeted a residential area in Israel on June 14, reportedly killing two people and injuring several others.

Since then, hostilities have intensified. Israel has reportedly killed more than 200 people in Iran, while Iranian strikes have killed over 24 in Israel. 

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, tensions remain high. On Tuesday, Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities killed at least 18 people.

Given the increased risk of drone and missile attacks in these regions, both passengers and the aviation industry are actively avoiding airspace over Iran and Ukraine, prioritising safety above all else.

The most visible “hole” in the Flightradar24, a live flight tracker website showed that global air traffic remains almost non-existent over Ukraine.

After the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, airlines began avoiding eastern Ukrainian airspace. With the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, all Ukrainian airspace was closed to civil aviation.

Many convenient international routes are often avoided by flights due to security concerns not just because of the danger of overflying conflict zones, but also due to the risks of having to divert to unsafe regions.