EASA eases overflight warnings for Iran and Iraq

Safety regulators have withdrawn a recommendation to avoid all overflights of Iran, 3 weeks after a Boeing 737-800 was apparently shot down inadvertently over Tehran. But recommendations to avoid much of Iraqi airspace, and lower Iranian airspace, nevertheless remain in place. EASA says the review of Iranian operations follows a meeting of an integrated aviation security risk group Jan 28. Temporary measures to avoid both countries’ airspace had been advised after a Ukraine International Airlines flight was destroyed Jan 8. But EASA warns there is still a high risk to civil air traffic over Iran, at altitudes below 25,000ft, owing to “misidentification” of civil aircraft and “poor co-ordination” between civil and military authorities. <br/>