US Strikes on Iran Raise Aviation Safety Fears

The recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have raised serious concerns about the safety of civil aviation in the Middle East, according to a leading airspace risk monitoring organization.

As tensions intensify between Iran, Israel, and the United States, major airlines are cancelling flights and rerouting routes to avoid high-risk zones.

Safe Airspace, a platform operated by aviation intelligence firm OPSGROUP, warned on Sunday that the US military action could significantly increase the threat to American carriers operating in the region.

While no direct threats have been issued against civil aviation, the group pointed out that Iran has previously threatened to target US military interests in the Middle East—either directly or through proxy groups like Hezbollah.

Commercial airlines have already been avoiding large swathes of airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel. According to data from FlightRadar24, air traffic continued to divert on Sunday, following routes over the Caspian Sea to the north or via Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the south, even at the cost of longer flight durations and increased fuel and crew expenses.

The disruption follows over a week of escalating conflict, beginning with Israeli airstrikes on Iran on 13 June and followed by retaliatory missile launches by Tehran. 

As a result, many international carriers suspended flights to affected destinations; however, some evacuation flights are being operated from neighboring countries to repatriate stranded travelers, including Israelis.

Israel briefly reopened its airspace for six hours on Sunday to allow the return of citizens who have been unable to fly home since the onset of the conflict.

Despite this temporary reopening, uncertainty remains high. The latest developments have compounded existing airspace restrictions across the region, severely impacting commercial flight operations and prompting fears of broader travel disruptions if tensions persist.