Recommendations on Iran/Iraq overflights withdrawn – EASA

As an outcome of this meeting, the temporary recommendations issued by EASA and the EC Commission on January 8, 2020, recommending avoidance of all overflights of Iraq as a precautionary measure, and on January 11, 2020, recommending avoidance of all overflights of Iran as a precautionary measure, have been withdrawn, according to a press release of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

On the basis of the latest information, the Group reaffirmed the position stated in the current published Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIB) for overflights of Iran and Iraq airspace. CZIB-2017-04R5 for Iraq advises airlines to avoid overflights of Iraq except in two specific air corridors. CZIB-2020-01R0 for Iran advises against overflights of Iran at levels below 25,000 feet.

As reported, a Ukraine International Airlines plane (Flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on Wednesday, January 8. There were 176 people on board – nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK).

On January 11, Iran admitted that its military had accidentally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accepted full responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian airliner.

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