Qantas refuses to reroute London to Dubai flights from over Iraq


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Passengers on Qantas's Dubai to London flights will continue to fly over Iraqi airspace as the airline reveals it had no plans to reroute the flight.

The Australian carrier said based on its latest security assessments it would not be changing the route of its twice-daily A380 flights.

It comes after its alliance partner Emirates said it would stop its planes flying over Iraq within the next seven to ten days due to concerns about missile strikes following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

No plans to change: Qantas has said its Dubai to London flight will still fly over Iraqi airspace

No plans to change: Qantas has said its Dubai to London flight will still fly over Iraqi airspace

Emirates has decided to re-route planes along different flight paths amid concerns about the dangers posed by Islamic militants on the ground.

A Qantas spokesman said the airline regularly reviewed its flight paths and made any adjustments it considered prudent.

'There is no suggestion that flying over Iraq is unsafe for commercial airlines, particularly given the cruising altitude that most, including Qantas, maintain,' he said.

'We will continue to monitor the situation, with safety as our top priority.'

It is understood Qantas's two daily Dubai-London flights fly over Iraq at an altitude of 38,000 to 41,000 feet.

The above map, which shows routes taken by major airline carriers this month, shows how planes are flying over dangerous areas of the world. Dotted lines are probable routes for which exact data is not available

The above map, which shows routes taken by major airline carriers this month, shows how planes are flying over dangerous areas of the world. Dotted lines are probable routes for which exact data is not available

Other airlines that were flying over Iraq on Monday included British Airways, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways, as well as Emirates, which had yet to change its flight paths, according to FlightRadar24.

A spokesman for British Airways said he would not discuss flight plans.

He added: 'Our flight plans vary depending on a variety of factors, but our highest and first priority is always the safety of our crew and customers.

'We would never fly in airspace unless we were satisfied that it was safe to do so.'

Emirates decided to re-route planes along different flight paths amid concerns about the dangers posed by Islamic militants on the ground.

The above graphic shows the flight paths of a snapshot of planes flying over Mosul, an ISIS stronghold in Iraq, last weekend. The prospect has been raised that ISIS has missiles which could shoot down a plane

The above graphic shows the flight paths of a snapshot of planes flying over Mosul, an ISIS stronghold in Iraq, last weekend. The prospect has been raised that ISIS has missiles which could shoot down a plane

Sir Tim Clark, president of the Dubai-based airline, said he believed other airlines would soon follow suit as he called for government agencies to offer more advice about flying over conflict zones.

The move comes after MH17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile while travelling over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board, on July 17.

Mr Clark confirmed routes being considered included over Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, over Cairo and into European airspace, or over Iran.

He said he had taken action because he was no longer 'comfortable' with planes flying over ISIS-held territory in Iraq.

'This is a political animal but the fact of the matter is MH17 changed everything, and that was very nearly in European airspace,' he told The Times.

'We cannot continue to say, "Well it's a political thing". We have to do something. We have to take the bull by the horns.'

Emirates currently operates the largest number of flights over Iraq, with more than 50 a day travelling in and out of British airports.

The country lies on the border of the main flight path between Europe and Asia, with hundreds of aircraft passing over it each day. A popular route is over the Iraqi city of Mosul, a stronghold of ISIS militants.




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