Due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, Qantas has suspended its direct flight from Perth Airport (PER) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
The Australian airline announced that its 17.5-hour outbound flight QF9 from Perth will now stop at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) for refueling and then take an alternative route to London “as a precautionary measure”.
“Due to the situation in parts of the Middle East, we are making precautionary adjustments to some of our flight routes,” an airline spokesman told Australian media.
Due to prevailing winds, return flights from London to Perth will continue to operate direct on a modified route.
This is the second time Qantas has been forced to divert flights due to tensions in the Middle East. In April 2024, the airline suspended the direct route after Iran said it would attack Israel for killing a senior Iranian commander in Syria.
The latest announcement follows Iran’s announcement of retaliation for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a suspected Israeli airstrike in Tehran on July 31, 2024.
Although Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it was behind Haniyeh’s killing, it is preparing for a retaliatory attack that could last several days.
