Footage from a British Airways flight over the Middle East has sparked concern after it showed Iranian-launched missiles dangerously close to civilian air traffic. The footage, filmed from the cockpit of a Dubai-bound flight on Tuesday evening, captured ballistic missiles soaring into the sky, en route to Israel. The alarming proximity of the missiles raised questions about Iran’s failure to ensure the airways were clear of international flights before launching a volley of explosives.
While the missiles safely passed the airliner, the video highlights how close Iran came to causing a major international incident. Airlines quickly began diverting flights away from Middle Eastern airspace around 7:30 p.m. local time when the missiles started flying without warning. Regional flight trackers showed a sudden void in airspace between Iran and Israel, with planes rerouted north and south to avoid the danger zone.
A number of Middle Eastern airports, including those in Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, and Iraq, stopped flights in retaliation. Already-airborne aircraft were rerouted to safer locations like Egypt and Cyprus. As tensions in the area increased, other airlines also temporarily stopped operating services between Iran and Israel.
Flights to Beirut, Tel Aviv, and Tehran were temporarily suspended by the Lufthansa Group, which also owns and runs Austrian carriers and Swiss Air, among other carriers. Additionally, KLM, the Dutch airline, halted flights to Tel Aviv for the balance of the year.
These precautions come after the European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency recommended avoiding the airspace between Lebanon and Israel due to increased air strikes and a worsening security situation. Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon on Monday, aimed at targeting Hezbollah, has added to the growing conflict.
