Jordan mandates reserve fuel for airlines amid tensions over potential Iranian attack
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Jordan required all airlines landing at its airports to carry 45 minutes of reserve fuel as a precaution against a potential Iranian attack on Israel.
Some airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon due to rising concerns about potential regional conflict following the recent killing of two key Hamas and Hezbollah members.
On Sunday, Jordanian authorities issued a flight safety notice (NOTAM), asking all airlines to carry the reserve fuel for “operational reasons.” The notice is effective until 2200 GMT on Tuesday.
In a bulletin, OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares flight risk information, indicated that the measure was taken in anticipation of the potential closure of Jordanian airspace, as a precautionary step in the event of an Iranian attack on Israel.
“The Jordan NOTAM is relevant because in the April aerial attack on Israel, Jordan was the first country to close their airspace by NOTAM, well ahead of even Israel, Iran, or Iraq,” Mark Zee, OPSGROUP’s Chief Executive, told Reuters.
“The 45 minutes would be intended to provide enough additional fuel for an aircraft to leave Jordanian airspace and land elsewhere,” he added.
"An attack by Iran on Israel would result in the closure of some of the most heavily trafficked air routes in the world," said Ian Petchenik, spokesperson for flight tracker FlightRadar24.
"Closure of this airspace will force aircraft into ever-narrowing corridors to the north and south. Any sustained closure of these routes would be a monumental reordering of international air traffic."
