Singapore Air, Taiwan carriers detour Iran on conflict risk

Asian carriers Singapore Airlines Ltd., Eva Air Corp. and China Airlines Ltd. have temporarily stopped flying over Iranian airspace as tensions escalate in the Middle East. Flights operated by the three airlines were seen to be skirting to the north of Iran over central Asian countries such as Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, FlightRadar24 plane tracking shows. All Singapore Airlines and flights at low-cost carrier Scoot have stopped flying over Iranian air space and are using alternative flight paths, the carrier said in a statement, adding that it hasn’t canceled any flights. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and adjust our flight paths as needed,” Singapore Air said. Thai Airways International Pcl said it has also stopped flying over Iranian airspace, while Air India suspended its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Aug. 8, citing the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East region. The move comes just days after Iran blamed Israel for the assassination of a top Hamas official in Tehran and vowed retaliation, inflaming tensions in the region. Singapore Air had only recently resumed flying over Iran after avoiding the area for two months, which had led to lengthy and costly detours. <br/>