European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has dismantled a nearly two-year advisory notice that had warned against flying over Iran over safety reasons.
Head of the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) of Iran said on Saturday that the government body had persuaded EASA to stop renewing a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) concerning flights through the Iranian airspace.
“To overcome and remove this restriction, CAO’s expert bureaus and Iran Airports Company had engaged in negotiations with European airlines and the region’s aviation authorities as well as with the EASA,” said Siavosh Amir Mokri.
EASA started warning against Iran overflights in January 2020 after the country came close to a confrontation with the United States following a drone strike by the US military that killed a top Iranian general in neighboring Iraq.
The notice was issued after Iran fired missiles against US forces stationed in Iraq. EASA’s measure, which had applied to flights below an altitude of 25,000 feet, was extended in July this year.
However, a look on EASA’s website on Saturday showed it had “withdrawn” the CZIB concerning flights over Iran.
Many global and regional airlines have resumed using the Iranian airspace regardless of the advisory notices by the US and some European countries warning against such flights.
Iranian aviation authorities say that overflights can generate significant revenues for the country at a time airlines are scrambling to respond to growing demand for air travel around the world as governments ease restrictions related to the coronavirus.