Iran and Iraq Airspace: The Current Overflight Picture for Operators

A disclaimer up front

This is a working operational summary as of late 2025/early 2026. Iran (Tehran FIR) and Iraq (Baghdad FIR) airspace status changes frequently with the regional security environment. Always confirm with the LFS routing desk or your own dispatcher before filing.

Iran — Tehran FIR

Commercial overflight of Tehran FIR is technically permitted with prior CAA-Iran clearance, but most Western operators currently avoid for insurance and sanctions reasons. The principal alternatives:

• North route: through Turkmenistan (Ashgabat FIR) and onward across the Caspian.
• South route: through the Arabian Sea, around Iran via Oman and Pakistan.

For Indian-subcontinent trips originating in Europe, the south route adds approximately 2.5 hours but is the default for most operators today.

Iraq — Baghdad FIR

Baghdad FIR has been progressively reopening since 2024 with active commercial traffic on principal routes. Current operator practice:

• Allowed: transit at FL280+ on published airways.
• Restricted: low-level operations, eastern Iraq corridors near the border, certain northern areas.
• Permits: required 48 hours in advance; LFS holds standing CAA-Iraq credentials.

Routing examples

• London → Dubai: historically over Iran; today most operators route over Turkey, Iraq (FL340+), Saudi Arabia, into UAE. Cost: about +30 minutes vs. direct.
• Frankfurt → Mumbai: current default routing is Turkey, Iraq, Iran or alternate south through Saudi/Oman to Pakistan. About +60 to +90 minutes vs. theoretical direct.

Insurance

War-risk insurance must explicitly cover Iran and Iraq if you intend to overfly. Many standard policies exclude Iran by default and require an extension. Confirm with your broker before filing.

What LFS does

We maintain real-time relationships with CAA-Iraq and CAA-Iran (for clients who require it) and run a daily route-optimization brief that incorporates the current insurance, security, and regulatory picture. For any trip touching this region we provide the current routing options with cost, time, and risk attached to each, and let the operator make the call.