The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has once again warned of the risks associated with flying over the airspace of several Gulf states, stating that the situation remains unstable and could pose a danger to civil aviation.
The statement, first published on 14 July and updated on 31 August, states that the conflict between the US and Iran poses ‘high risks’ to flights over the waters of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
The agency emphasised that the situation in the region remains “unstable”, which, in turn, increases the threats to these countries’ airspace.
According to EASA’s assessment, the presence of major US military installations in the region increases the likelihood that these states could come under direct attack from Iranian missiles and drones. The agency also noted that this could affect the adjacent maritime airspace.
‘Unpredictable military developments, combined with the possible use of missiles, drones, combat aircraft and air defence systems pose a high risk to civil aviation at all altitudes and flight levels over waters within the relevant airspace,” the agency stated.