Following Israel's airstrikes, not only Iran but also Iraq and Jordan have closed their airspace to civilian flights. As a result, several regional airlines have been unable to use these transnational corridors.
Flightradar24 analyses show that westbound flights are mainly rerouted toward China via the northern corridor over Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia. In the southern direction, routes continue along the path of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf, and India.
Azerbaijan — as a safe crossing point
Azerbaijan, through both its geostrategic location and its consistent support for aviation infrastructure, has once again demonstrated its role in providing a “safe corridor” for civil aviation during this challenging period. The role of AZAL, Azerbaijan Air Navigation Services (AZANS), and Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) in organizing this passage is particularly significant.
This is further proven by the requests submitted by several international airlines in the early morning hours to land at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
Baku selected as alternate landing point for more than 10 international flights
According to the information released by the Public Relations Service of Azerbaijan’s International Airports, more than 10 international flights have chosen Heydar Aliyev International Airport as an alternate landing point.
Among the mentioned airlines, there are also AJet, Flydubai, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Etihad Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
It was stated that Heydar Aliyev International Airport received these flights in full compliance with the principles of passenger safety, comfort, and rapid logistical coordination.
It was also noted that Baku Airport, as a reliable transit and air transport hub in the region, possesses full infrastructure and operational capabilities to safely redirect regional and global aviation routes during emergency situations.
Assessment by aviation experts
International aviation experts note that although longer routes incur additional costs, considering the increasing risks, flight paths passing over Azerbaijan can be regarded as an efficient choice. Azerbaijan has gained an advantage in terms of safety and reliability as a country with open and secure airspace in the region.
Flights over Azerbaijan and Türkiye have doubled
Kazimier Lim, a doctoral student at the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics, stated that congestion is observed on some of the routes that planes can use near the Middle East: “Before the war, there were three main air corridors. Now, due to the conflict in the Middle East, the central corridor over Iran and Iraq is closed. Thus, only two of the four corridors – one passing over Türkiye and Azerbaijan, and the other over Egypt and Saudi Arabia – have to manage twice as much air traffic as before.”
In parallel, international media have also highlighted the role of Azerbaijan and Türkiye in international flights amid ongoing events and have published related information.
All of the above-mentioned further support the conclusion that Azerbaijan, with its geographical advantage, secure airspace, strong infrastructure, and organizational experience, has become one of the main air hubs in the region. In the long term, this will further strengthen our country's influence in the regional and global aviation environment.
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