Sydney - Australian airline Qantas said on Saturday it would redirect its long-haul flights between Perth and London to avoid Iran's airspace amid Middle East tensions. A Qantas spokesperson told AFP the airline would temporarily adjust the flight paths due to "the situation in parts of the Middle East".
"We'll reach out to customers directly if there's any change to their booking," the spokesperson said.
The Perth-London flight, which is usually a non-stop 17-and-a-half-hour journey, will now stop in Singapore to refuel, allowing it to carry a full load of passengers on an alternate route.
The return service - London to Perth - will continue to fly non-stop on a readjusted path due to prevailing winds.
All other flights are not affected. Qantas joins other airlines including Lufthansa and its subsidiary Austrian Airlines in redirecting flights to avoid Iranian airspace.
German airline Lufthansa said Friday its planes would no longer use Iranian airspace as it extended a suspension on flights to and from Tehran.
"Due to the current situation, Lufthansa is suspending its flights to and from Tehran up to and including Thursday, 18 April," a company spokesperson said.
"The airline is also no longer using Iranian airspace." Its subsidiary Austrian Airlines followed suit. The flights to the Iranian capital have been suspended since April 6. Lufthansa did not outline the immediate reasons for the suspension.
In a statement, Austrian Airlines cited "the current situation in the Middle East".
"For Austrian Airlines, the safety of its passengers and crews is a top priority.
Austrian Airlines, the last West European airline flying to Iran, said it was suspending all flights from Vienna to Tehran until April 18 in response to escalating tensions in the region.
Austria had continued flying for longer than its German parent Lufthansa since Vienna's closer proximity to Tehran meant it could more easily abort flights or be forced to leave staff in Tehran overnight.
Earlier on Friday, Austria's foreign ministry followed Germany in urging its citizens to leave Iran. "Routes that pass through Iranian air space will also be modified," Austrian Airlines said in a statement. "The safety of our passengers and crews has the highest priority."
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