Lufthansa continues to bypass Iranian, Iraqi airspace

• European airlines are rerouting or suspending flights to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace due to safety warnings from EU aviation authorities.
• These changes are causing longer travel times, higher operational costs, and reduced reliability on key routes.

Air travel has faced significant disruption as airlines rerouted flights to avoid Iranian airspace following heightened security warnings from European regulators.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin valid through February 16, advising all operators to avoid the Tehran Flight Information Region at all altitudes.

The agency cited an increased risk of civilian aircraft being misidentified by Iranian air defense systems amid elevated military alert levels and ongoing domestic unrest.

Lufthansa Group suspends Tehran flights

The Lufthansa Group announced extended suspensions on Iran routes. Lufthansa said all flights to and from Tehran will remain suspended until March 29.

Austrian Airlines confirmed its Tehran service is paused until at least February 16.

The group continues to bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace on most routes, following EASA guidance, although both airspaces remain open.

A limited Iraqi corridor briefly used earlier this week remains under constant review, the airline said.

Flights to Tel Aviv

While Ben Gurion Airport remains operational, the aviation landscape in Tel Aviv has shifted into a high-alert defensive posture. The most striking change comes from the Lufthansa Group, which has effectively banned 'overnighting' in the city, extending its daylight-only flight mandate through January 31.

This tactical retreat ensures that flight crews are never grounded on 'Israeli' soil during the nighttime hours, instead utilizing high-speed 'turnaround' missions that return to Europe before dusk.

For travelers, this has triggered a wave of 'proactive' cancellations and forced rescheduling, signaling that even as runways stay open, the reliability of European connections to 'Israel' remains tethered to the minute-by-minute volatility of regional security assessments.

Wizz Air introduces technical stops

Wizz Air has been forced to add refueling stops on several westbound Gulf routes. Flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi now make mandatory technical stops in Larnaca or Thessaloniki due to the extended distances required to avoid Iran and Iraq.

The airline said its A321neo aircraft cannot safely complete the longer routes nonstop while maintaining regulatory fuel reserves.

Ongoing impact

Aviation experts say the situation is likely to remain fluid as long as safety advisories stay in place.

Rerouting around Iran airspace is increasing flight times, fuel costs, and operational complexity, limiting capacity on key corridors and raising the risk of further schedule changes in the coming weeks.