by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:32 AM ET, Wed January 8, 2020
Several major airlines around the world announced Wednesday they would be rerouting flights over the Middle East as tensions continue to rise between Iran and the United States.
According to The Associated Press, aviation analysts say the decision to change flight paths in the region would impact as many as 15,000 passengers per day, increase the length of journeys by 30-to-90 minutes and cause airlines to lose money on several once profitable routes.
With around 500 commercial flights flying through Iranian and Iraqi airspace daily, Dubai-based aviation consult Mark Martin told The AP the airline industry is one of the first parts of the local economies impacted by war situations.
On Wednesday, a Ukrainian passenger plane departing from Iran crashed just six miles from the Tehran airport where it departed from moments earlier. While an investigation continues, preliminary reports suggest a mechanical issue brought down the Boeing plane, killing all 176 people on board.
Some of the airlines making the changes to routes over the Middle East include Poland's PLL LOT, Paris' Air France, Dutch carrier KLM, Germany's Lufthansa, Russia's S7, Australia's Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and more.
In North America, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was barring American pilots and carriers from flying in areas of Iraqi, Iran and some Persian Gulf airspace. Air Canada also said it was altering service as a result of the recent missile attacks.
Additional airlines across the world are expected to change flight paths in the coming days.
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