Major carriers in the Gulf Arab region are studying plans to re-route flights in the event of an attack on Iraq, press reports said.
If a war breaks out, traffic from North America and Europe will be the worst affected. Dubai airline Emirates and Qatar Airways say they have contingency plans to switch flights to safer routes. In Bahrain, Gulf Air chief executive James Hogan said the regional carrier would re-route some to ensure maximum safety. "Gulf Air's three regional hubs give it a unique flexibility, not only by virtue of their geographical location being far away from the conflict area, but also in terms of their capacity to meet the needs of its passengers as the situation evolves." Other operators said they planned to offer a full service as long as it was safe to do so.