Qantas axes non-stop Perth to London flight over Middle East fears
- National airline implements precautionary measure
- Direct flight from Perth to London now stops in Singapore
Qantas has cancelled its direct mega flight from Perth to London due to rising tensions in the Middle East.
The 17-hour flight will now make a stopover in Singapore and then take an alternative route that avoids the dangerous airspace, the airline said on Thursday.
“We are adjusting some of our flight routes as a precautionary measure due to the situation in parts of the Middle East,” a spokesperson said.
‘We will contact the customer directly if anything changes in his/her booking.’
It is reported that return flights from London to Perth will depart direct due to prevailing winds.
Qantas has cancelled its direct mega flight from Perth to London due to rising tensions in the Middle East
The flight from Perth to London takes a whopping 17 hours, making it the fourth longest route in the world. The photo shows Perth Airport
The move comes as Israel prepares for Iranian retaliation for the killings of Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
Iran supports both militant groups and has vowed revenge on Israel, even though the Israeli government has only claimed responsibility for Shukr’s death.
Qantas had already suspended the Middle East route in April after Iran said it would attack Israel for killing a senior Iranian commander in Syria. The country kept its promise.
The Albanian government has urged Australians in Lebanon to leave while they still can, warning they could be stranded indefinitely if Beirut’s airport closes.