Singapore Airlines, Scoot flights avoid Iranian airspace amid escalating Middle East conflict

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and budget carrier Scoot have stopped flying over Iranian airspace, after Iran on April 13 launched its first direct attack on Israeli territory. The Israeli military said Iran has fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Tel Aviv since April 13. A spokesperson for SIA told The Straits Times that as a precaution, both SIA and Scoot have been using alternative flight paths since 1pm Singapore time on April 13. The SIA Group said its top priority is the safety of customers and its employees. “We are closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East, and we will adjust our flight paths as needed,” the spokesperson said. Responding to ST’s queries, the spokesperson said all SIA flights operating between Singapore and 14 destinations have been affected by the changes in flight paths. They are: Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, New York (JFK), New York (Newark), Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome and Zurich. All Scoot flights operating between Singapore and Athens are also affected. “Some flights may take slightly longer than usual,” said the spokesperson, who apologised for any inconvenience caused. A spokesman for Changi Airport Group (CAG) told ST that those travelling should check with their airlines to see if their flights are affected. The CAG spokesman said: “Other than the departure of TK169, which was delayed for about four hours, we have not observed any significant delays to arrival and departure flights today.”<br/>