He said Iraqi airspace has since been crowded with British Airways being the latest to use it. Other notable airlines include Air France, Air Canada, Royal Dutch Airlines, and Swiss Airlines among others, he added.
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Dubai-based Emirates and sister carrier flydubai together serve 10 cities in Iran and Iraq, and have continued to use the airspace of both countries for other flights. Kuwait Airways and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways have continued using Iranian and Iraqi airspace.
There is a high risk to civil aircraft. Iraqi airspace (ORBB/Baghdad FIR) should be avoided entirely. Several countries have issued airspace warnings advising against operating in Iraqi airspace at the lower flight levels. The airspace adjoining the Baghdad FIR is also at risk: Iran, Turkey, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
Etihad Airways has subsequently suspended operations through Iranian airspace over the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and will use alternative flight paths on a number of routes to and from Abu Dhabi until further notice.
Jet streams, which are a system of air currents that circle the Earth many miles above the planet's surface, are another reason why aircraft don't fly over the Pacific Ocean. Due to Earth's rotation, these air currents often move from West to East.
The U.S. and European countries still warn against any travel to Iraq due to security concerns. The U.S. State Department website says: Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest.
For starters, the engine may suffocate from a lack of oxygen. Engines work by mixing air with fuel to create combustion. The higher an airplane flies, the less air the engines will receive. Second, the airplane's wings may fail to produce a sufficient amount of lift to maintain its current and excessive altitude.
Modern aircraft with two engines flying transatlantic (the most common models used for transatlantic service being the Airbus A330, Boeing 767, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787) have to be ETOPS certified.