Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry on Wednesday called on all national airlines to avoid flying over Iran this Wednesday between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (local time) and on Thursday between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (local time) due to military exercises, according to a report cited by Reuters.
However, according to the Egyptian ministry, Iranian authorities have already issued a similar warning this Wednesday, from 11:30 to 14:30 (09:00 and 11:00 Lisbon time).
“In order to ensure the safety of passengers on Egyptian flights and to apply current international standards, the Egyptian civil aviation authorities have warned all Egyptian airlines not to enter Iranian airspace at the specified time to avoid any danger that may affect flight safety,” the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, an official source in the Egyptian government passed the same information, but with fewer details, to the official Egyptian television channel Al-Qahera News, which is close to the Arab country’s intelligence services.
On the other hand, specialized aviation media reported today that Egypt issued a NOTAM – a warning to air navigation of any danger en route – to avoid Iranian airspace between 01:00 and 04:00 GMT (02:00 GMT) 00 and 05:00 Lisbon) on Thursday, without providing further details.
The warning comes as Israel expects retaliation from Iran after an attack attributed to the Jewish state killed Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the political office of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, in Tehran last week.
Last April, when Iran launched its first attack against Israel in retaliation for the destruction of the Iranian consulate in Damascus by Israeli bombing, Jordan was the first country to close its airspace.
Jordan’s civil aviation has not yet responded to this information.
Author: morning Post This Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.