Jordan has asked all airlines landing at its airports to carry 45 minutes of spare fuel, which experts see as a precaution in case of an Iranian attack on Israel.
Several airlines have avoided Iranian and Lebanese airspace and cancelled flights to Israel and Lebanon, as fears grow of possible conflict in the region following the killing of senior members of the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah last week.
The NOTAM, a safety notice given to pilots, was issued on Sunday (4/8) by Jordanian authorities, asking all airlines to carry spare fuel for “operational reasons”. It is in effect until 2200 GMT on Tuesday.
In a bulletin, OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares aviation risk information, said the move came ahead of an anticipated closure of Jordanian airspace, a precaution in the event of an attack on Israel by Iran.
“The Jordanian NOTAM is relevant because in the April airstrikes against Israel, Jordan was the first country to close its airspace via NOTAM, even before Israel, Iran or Iraq,” Mark Zee, chief executive of OPSGROUP, told Reuters.
“The 45-minute period was intended to provide enough additional fuel for the aircraft to leave Jordanian airspace and land elsewhere,” he added.
War-related airspace closures can impose significant restrictions on air traffic.
The war in Ukraine, for example, has placed significant constraints on European airspace, which was already under pressure from air traffic controller strikes and strong demand for flight services.
In the Middle East, experts say the impact could be even greater.
“An Iranian attack on Israel would result in the closure of some of the world's busiest air routes,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesman for flight tracker FlightRadar24.
“The closure of this airspace will force aircraft into ever-narrowing corridors to the north and south.
The continued closure of these routes would cause major changes to international air traffic.” (my/jm)
