The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Saturday extended its recommendations to airlines to avoid flying over Iran and Lebanon and to apply a “rigorous monitoring process” when flying over Israel, despite the ceasefire in force on Wednesday with Hezbollah.
These recommendations will be valid until January 31 and are not binding, being the final decision of each national civil aviation authority.
“The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has reduced tensions (…). But the general situation in the Middle East remains uncertain and companies must monitor it closely,” writes EASA in its bulletin.
Threat evolution
After Israel’s attacks against Iran “on October 1 and 25 and 26, followed by the Iranian announcement of a response (…), Iranian airspace represents a high risk,” the agency adds.
In Lebanon, the state “has not demonstrated its ability to respond to dangers in the airspace by implementing an effective and proactive de-escalation approach.”
Furthermore, the Israeli national civil aviation authority “has demonstrated its ability to manage risks in its airspace”, leading EASA to simply recommend greater vigilance when flying over the country.
EASA “will continue to closely monitor the situation with a view to assessing whether there is an increase or decrease in risks to EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolving threat,” according to its report.
The ceasefire that came into force on Wednesday comes 13 months after Hezbollah opened a “support” front for Hamas against Israel at the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, triggered on October 7, 2023 by the attack unprecedented of the Palestinian Islamist movement. .
Source: BFM TV
