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Iran opens skies for int’l flights from Europe to East Asia

22 July 2014 17:50 (UTC+04:00)
Iran opens skies for int’l flights from Europe to East Asia

By Sara Rajabova

Iran voiced readiness to open its skies to the passing international flights heading from northern Europe to East Asia after a Malaysian jet went down over eastern Ukraine.

Deputy CEO for Aeronautical Operations at Iran Airports Company (IAC) Ebrahim Shoushtari said on July 22 Iran responded positively to a request by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to offer its airspace as an alternative route for the flights from northern Europe destined for East Asia, Press TV reported.

Shoushtari added that all Malaysian airplanes set off from Amsterdam for south-east Asia have changed route and cross Iran's airspace instead of the eastern Ukraine's airspace.

On July 17, Malaysia's Boeing 777 passenger plane en route from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine, leading to the death of all 298 passengers on board.

The location has been the scene of intense fighting between pro-Russia protesters and Ukrainian military forces over the past months.

Ukraine government and the pro-Russian groups that are fighting Kiev's forces in Eastern Ukraine blame each other for the Malaysian plane's shot down.

Earlier this month, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization ordered national airlines to reroute flights around eastern Ukraine airspace, saying it is prepared to open the country's airspace to international flights after the deadly incident.

Leading airlines, including Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Russian airline Transaero have also said they would avoid airspace over eastern Ukraine.

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