Qantas, an Australian airline, said on Saturday that it would redirect its long-haul flights between Perth and London to avoid Iran’s airspace amid rising Middle East tensions.
A Qantas representative informed, “The airline would temporarily adjust the flight paths due to the situation in parts of the Middle East”.
“We’ll reach out to customers directly if there’s any change to their booking”, the spokesperson added.
The Perth-London flight, which is normally a non-stop 17-and-an-half-hour voyage, will now stop in Singapore to refuel, allowing it to carry a full load of passengers on a different route.
The return flight from London to Perth will fly non-stop on a revised route due to prevailing winds.
All other flights are unaffected.
Qantas has joined other airlines, including Lufthansa and its subsidiary Austrian Airlines, in routing flights to avoid Iranian airspace.
The move comes after Iran blamed its arch-rival Israel for a bombing in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and threatened retaliation.
Since the start of the Gaza Strip war in October, Israel has increased its strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria.
Also read: Amid Middle East Tensions, Iranian Guards Seize An Israeli-Related Ship
