Qantas Pauses Perth-London Service Due To Tensions Between Israel & Iran

Qantas’ direct link between Western Australia and England’s capital will reroute its service via Singapore in a bid to avoid Iranian airspace due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel. This is amid fears that Iranian forces are planning an imminent attack on Israel. Previously, Qantas’ direct service from Perth International Airport (PER) to London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) would operate non-stop between the two cities, with an average flight time of around 17 and a half hours.

For the ultra-long-haul service to remain viable, the route between Perth and London must pass over Iran. However, due to the increased likelihood of Iranian retaliation towards Israel, the carrier has quickly rerouted the service via Singapore, and it will ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Photo: Qantas

Those heading southbound, however, will be able to enjoy a direct service, with the airline confirming QF10, from Heathrow to Perth will be able to operate non-stop with small changes required to its flight map. This is made possible by easterly jet streams, which provide less fuel burn and no requirement to stop over en route for additional fuel while avoiding Iran.

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QF9 to QF209

Outbound travelers will adjust their itineraries slightly, with the usual QF9 flight number changing to QF209 while it operates via Singapore to refuel. As reported by Reuters, a Qantas spokesperson released this advice:

“We’re temporarily adjusting the flight paths for our flights between Perth and London due to the situation in parts of the Middle East. We’ll reach out to customers directly if there’s any change to their booking.”

Source: GCMap

Qantas has confirmed that the avoidance of Iranian airspace has not affected the flight paths of any other routes currently in its network, such as its flagship QF1 and QF2, which do not pass over the Middle East.

Avoid Israel

Australia’s Government has also reminded its citizens to “reconsider your need to travel” to Israel amid the ongoing tensions. This has been mirrored by many other countries, with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advising to refrain from all travel to Israel, or New Zealand’s Safe Travel, which reiterates, “Do not travel to Israel due to the unpredictable security situation.”

Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

It remains unclear if this current diversion of direct services between Western Australia and Europe will affect its upcoming Perth to Paris Charles de Gaulle link, which is expected to launch on July 12th, or its seasonal Rome-Fuimicino service, which is also expected to operate during the Northern Hemisphere summer.

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