EU aviation safety agency narrows Gulf airspace warning

The ​European Union Aviation Safety Agency on ​Monday extended until ‌September 30 ​its warning to airlines to avoid airspace over the waters of the Persian Gulf within Bahrain, ‌Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, narrowing an earlier advisory that recommended avoiding the countries' entire airspace.

The new advisory comes hours after the U.S. and Iran ‌resumed hostilities for the first time since late July. "While risks over ‌the waters of the Persian Gulf remain high, operations necessary for arrivals at or departures from aerodromes within the affected Flight Information Regions may be conducted with sufficient ⁠mitigation," EASA ​said in ⁠its latest advisory for the Persian Gulf nations.

It asked operators to exercise caution while ⁠operating above the land territory of these nations, adding that airlines should also not ​operate over Gulf of Oman waters within Oman's Muscat flight information region. The ⁠agency lifted its previous recommendation that airlines avoid Jordanian airspace, but advised airlines to ⁠exercise caution ​through September 30.

EASA also extended its recommendations that airlines not operate in the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon until ⁠the end of September. However, flights arriving at or departing from the Lebanese capital Beirut ⁠are permitted ⁠if the approach starts from the sea or the departure ends over the sea, the agency added.