Malaysia Airlines will avoid 'conflict airspace' of Iran

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia Airlines will avoid the conflict airspace of Iran, following the recent military tensions in the region.

In a statement issued to Bernama on Wednesday (Jan 8), Malaysia Airlines said it does not fly over the airspace of Iraq on its flights to and from London, Jeddah and Medina.

"The airline performs active monitoring through its Flight Monitoring System and is guided by various assessments including global security reports and Notice to Airmen (Notam) by respective airspace control authorities.

"All our aircraft are equipped with Satellite Communication (Satcom) for immediate communication with the aircraft for any critical information and action such as reroute," the statement said.

Malaysia Airlines emphasised that it placed great importance on safety.

It was reported that the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport on Friday has sparked outrage and revenge threats from Teheran, raising fears of escalation of conflict in the region.

Iran struck back at the US for the killing of Soleimani early Wednesday (Jan 8), firing a series of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops in a major escalation that brings the two long-time foes closer to war, reported AP.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the US and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack against the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq’s western Anbar province. - Bernama