EK routing over Iraq and Syria
Thread Starter
EK routing over Iraq and Syria
I was a passenger on EK17 Dubai to Manchester on 10th June. The routing followed the border between Iraq and Iran and then turned into Turkey at the Se corner. But on Flight Aware I see that from around 17th June EK17 has been overflying central Iraq and eastern Syria - apparently the most troubled areas. I don't know how accurate or reliable FA is, and I trust EK and pilots in their professionalism and regard to safety. Maybe it is some trivial explanation, weather or suchlike. Maybe I got it wrong on FA. But I am curious, if this is an accurate reading, why EK have gone back on their policy as expressed in the media in July 2014 to re-route away from the troubled areas.
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I don't like flying over the western parts of Iraq these days and I believe, I'm not the only one. I said no to doing it and we got a different routing.
Overflying Iran, however, is absolutely safe and their ATC standards are high.
The fact is, nobody (or maybe somebody...?) knows for sure what sort of threats exist on the ground overhead Mossul etc..
Nobody wants to be reminded of the Donbass, it appears.
Overflying Iran, however, is absolutely safe and their ATC standards are high.
The fact is, nobody (or maybe somebody...?) knows for sure what sort of threats exist on the ground overhead Mossul etc..
Nobody wants to be reminded of the Donbass, it appears.
Thread Starter
Well the trace for the flight I was on was very consistent with the actual track and shows all the small course changes that I observed, such as a right turn towards Iran at the upper end of the gulf. From 17th there is a distinct change shown on FA. You may be right, though.
Thread Starter
Jack
OK, so we can discount Flight Aware, thanks for letting us know. The track shown on the desktop version today (below) is showing a route over central Iraq and eastern Syria, so obviously that is incorrect. That is reassuring, thank you. I can't see the point of such an app that doesn't do what it professes to, however.
EK17 21st June (Flight Aware desktop)
For the record here are the tracks for EK17 16th June and 17th June from the FA app. The former is similar to the flight I was on, whose track was consistent with the flight map shown on the plane and to some extent verifiable from looking out the window etc. The latter is an example of tracks that FA has been showing for all flights since.
EK17 16th June (Flight Aware app)
EK17 17th June (Flight Aware app)
OK, so we can discount Flight Aware, thanks for letting us know. The track shown on the desktop version today (below) is showing a route over central Iraq and eastern Syria, so obviously that is incorrect. That is reassuring, thank you. I can't see the point of such an app that doesn't do what it professes to, however.
EK17 21st June (Flight Aware desktop)
For the record here are the tracks for EK17 16th June and 17th June from the FA app. The former is similar to the flight I was on, whose track was consistent with the flight map shown on the plane and to some extent verifiable from looking out the window etc. The latter is an example of tracks that FA has been showing for all flights since.
EK17 16th June (Flight Aware app)
EK17 17th June (Flight Aware app)
Last edited by VolLibre; 21st Jun 2015 at 11:08.
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FlightRadar24 offers a ‘Full Flight History for EK17’ on various dates, although, 10JUN is not now included. I have checked out the routings flown of EK17 flights for various dates and they overfly Iran and then directly over the border to Turkey and do not over fly Iraq and Syria.
However, what was marked on the map also was a broken red line showing the theoretical direct routing between Dubai and Manchester and this possibly has been confused for the actual routing flown.
However, what was marked on the map also was a broken red line showing the theoretical direct routing between Dubai and Manchester and this possibly has been confused for the actual routing flown.
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I don't know about EK exactly, but seems like that most air carriers don't fly in Iraq and Syria sky if their destination or take off is not from Iraq. I think in Syria airspace only commercial carriers now flying are Syrian Arab Airlines and MEA (from destinations from Middle East to Beirut).
One day flightradar24 showed that Iraqi Airways passenger flight from Baghdad to Istanbul flew directly over Mosul, what is IS area now. Altitude was about 10 000 meters, but still..
Turkis Airlines, Austria airlines and many other airlines flies to and from Erbil daily. Erbil is about 90 km from Mosul and about 60 kilometer from IS area. I posted this post to the "Spectators Balcony" and it would be very intresting if some real pilot would comment it.
One day flightradar24 showed that Iraqi Airways passenger flight from Baghdad to Istanbul flew directly over Mosul, what is IS area now. Altitude was about 10 000 meters, but still..
Turkis Airlines, Austria airlines and many other airlines flies to and from Erbil daily. Erbil is about 90 km from Mosul and about 60 kilometer from IS area. I posted this post to the "Spectators Balcony" and it would be very intresting if some real pilot would comment it.
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Effective 09 August 2014 at 1530UTC the GCAA issued a directive banning all A6 registered aircraft from operating within the Baghdad FIR with, at that particular time, certain exceptions. This memo hasn't been rescinded as far as I'm aware so all A6 aircraft will avoid Iraq and continue to use Iranian airspace.
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Iraq and Syria are but two of the airspaces currently closed to EK operations.
I think, as 747-436 has mentioned, Flight Aware does not always show the exact routing but rather an estimated (Great Circle) routing.
During the few weeks that the Sana'a (Yemen) FIR was closed, Flight Aware was showing EK flights to and from Africa routing directly south over the Horn of Africa rather than the actual routing east over the Indian Ocean.
I think, as 747-436 has mentioned, Flight Aware does not always show the exact routing but rather an estimated (Great Circle) routing.
During the few weeks that the Sana'a (Yemen) FIR was closed, Flight Aware was showing EK flights to and from Africa routing directly south over the Horn of Africa rather than the actual routing east over the Indian Ocean.
Paxing All Over The World
FR24 used to only show the 'snail trail' where it had active data so there were great gaps across Africa, for example. Sometime last year, they started showing a full 'path' inferred from the point at which they lost active data, based on the usual path of that flight/route. When they regain active data, they link the two points.
