Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon close airspace as Iran attacks

A number of Middle Eastern countries have suspended flight operations in their airspaces amid an imminent Iranian drone attack on Israel and confirmed news of a launch of a swarm of uncrewed aerial vehicles by Tehran.

Jordan closed its airspace starting April 13, 2024, at 2300L (2000Z). The initial closure will be only for three hours. The NOTAM says the closure is due to “operational reasons”.

However, the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) told the state-owned Al-Mamluka broadcaster that the rising geopolitical tensions in the region were the reason.

Around 40 flights were cancelled, diverted, or delayed due to the closure.

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Jordan had previously reported large-scale GPS interference over its territory.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) urged “two neighbouring countries” to stop this process.

The regulator said it had evidence that the sources of the interference were in those countries. Jordan borders Israel and Palestine, but not Iran.

Israel has announced it will close its airspace on April 14, 2024, at 0030L (2130Z). The closure will last until 0700L (0400Z) on April 15 and has been attributed to “military activity.”

Iraq also closed its airspace due to “operational reasons” at 2345L (2045Z) on April 14, initially through 0530L (0230Z) on April 15.

Lebanese airspace will close on April 15 at 0100L (2200Z on April 14) until 0700L (0400Z).

Meanwhile, Iran banned all VFR operations in its airspace starting on April 13, 2024, at 1901L (1531Z).

The ban will be in place until April 24, 2024, and does not pertain to military, emergency, and other flights with prior approval. Even though the airspace remains open, currently a majority of airlines appear to avoid overflying the country, with a notable exception of UAE-based carriers such as Emirates, flydubai, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.

Source: https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/139228-jordan-israel-iraq-lebanon-close-airspace-as-iran-attacks