Australian airlines will keep flying in Iranian airspace despite the United States banning planes from the area after Ukrainian jet disaster
- Australian passengers will still fly through Iranian space despite USA plane bans
- Qantas and Virgin have code-share arrangements with airlines in the Gulf area
- Qantas has diverted Perth to London flights but code-share with Emirates intact
- Virgin code-share with Etihad is active but none of its other flights go there
- US banned their airlines from the area after Iran sent missile at US bases in Iraq
Australians will continue to fly through Iranian airspace despite the United States banning its flights because of pre-existing business deals with airlines in the area.
Qantas and Virgin Australia both have code-share arrangements with Persian Gulf-based operators which neighbour Iran.
A Qantas spokesperson said on Friday that its agreement with Dubai-based Emirates remains intact but its Perth to London flights will be diverted via Singapore or Hong Kong.
Qantas will re-route its Perth to London QF9 service out ot Iranian airspace but will maintain code-share arrangements with Emirates (stock image)
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline’s code-share with Etihad is still in place and encouraged customers to contact the middle-eastern carrier if concerned.
No other Virgin Australia flights travel through the region.
Qantas said the QF9 service from Perth to London would be redirected but its other flight to London, QF1, is unaffected as it already stops in Singapore.
‘We’re adjusting our flight paths over the Middle East to avoid the airspace over Iraq and Iran until further notice,’ they said.
‘We’re looking at temporarily routing QF9 through Asia until we’re able to return to our normal flight path through the Middle East.
‘This would mean a fuel stop in a city like Singapore or Hong Kong but it would enable us to still carry a full load of passengers on these heavily booked flights, and minimise disruption that way.’
Emirates and Etihad run multiple non-stop services every day from Melbourne and Sydney to their headquarters in the United Arab Emirates.
Virgin Australia does not operate any of its own flights in the region but has a code-share arrangement with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad
Both use large aircrafts that can carry hundreds of passengers each.
The US Federal Aviation Authority banned American airlines from flying into the Gulf, or over Iran and Iraq, on Wednesday, after Iran launched missiles at US airbases in Iraq.
The conflict was prompted by the assassination of Iranian military general Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad last week, by an American drone strike ordered by US president Donald Trump.
Later on Wednesday, a Ukrainian plane bound for Kiev crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran airport killing all 176 people on board.
Two days later, world leaders declared they had intel that Iran had brought down the plane with two russian-made missiles, with footage leaked to media outlets hours later.
A map shows a selection of routes that usually fly through Iranian airspace
An Emirates spokesman said the airline cancelled its Dubai to Baghdad and Baghdad to Dubai flights on Wednesday for ‘operational reasons’.
‘We are carefully monitoring the developments and are in close contact with the relevant government authorities with regards to our flight operations, and will make further operational changes if required,’ he said.
‘As always, the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority and will not be compromised.’
Code share agreements are a common practice in the aviation industry and allow airlines to purchase seats on an aircraft operated by another carrier but market it as their own.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Etihad for comment.
Rescue teams gather at the scene after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in the Iranian capital Tehran early in the morning on January 8, 2020, killing everyone on board