Airlines resort to UN recommended routes to circumvent Persian Gulf area

With military activity underway in Iraq, commercial airlines are circumventing the Persian Gulf area by resorting to routes recommended by the United Nations civil aviation agency.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said yesterday it identified the alternative routes to assist air operators in providing safe flights with minimum disruption to passengers. In coordination with its Contracting States and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the agency hopes to maintain the flow of traffic on major international routes between Europe and South-East Asia.

These alternate routes circumvent the north and southern Persian Gulf airspace. ICAO will continue to monitor the situation through its headquarters in Montreal as well as regional offices.