In recent days, airlines have increasingly rerouted flights to avoid Iranian airspace, opting instead to pass over Afghanistan. This change has resulted in longer travel times and increased fuel costs, driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East.
FlightRadar24 data indicates that while flights over Afghanistan had been on the rise in recent months, the number surged following Iran's missile attacks on Israel last week. Following these attacks, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued warnings to airlines to avoid Iranian airspace.
On September 29, FlightRadar24 recorded 132 flights over Afghanistan, which jumped to 176 on October 2, a day after the missile strikes. From October 6 onwards, daily flights over Afghanistan have reached approximately 222. Taliban officials claim the actual numbers are even higher than reported.
Imamuddin Ahmadi, spokesman for the Taliban's Ministry of Transport and Aviation, stated that around 350 transit flights have taken place in the last five or six days, compared to nearly 100 flights a year ago.
Notably, British Airways and Singapore Airlines were observed flying over Afghanistan, although they declined to comment on the matter. This shift in flight paths reflects the challenges airlines face as security concerns in the Middle East grow amid fears of regional conflict, one year after the onset of the Israel-Hamas war.
Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, an organization that shares information on flight risks, noted that already limited routes are becoming even more constrained, leading to increased air traffic over Afghanistan. Since the Taliban's return to power three years ago, there has been no air traffic control for flights over Afghanistan, forcing airlines to rely on guidance from regulatory authorities.
Zee anticipates that the avoidance of Iranian and possibly Iraqi airspace will continue for at least a few weeks, pending either Israeli action or a calming of the situation.