Azerbaijan Says It Will Use Armenian Airspace After Iran Bans 'Military Flights'
Azerbaijan has announced that it will use Armenia’s airspace for flights to its Nakhichevan enclave after Iran on Tuesday closed its airspace to these flights.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are technically at war with an agreed ceasefire in place along their border. The Armenian civil aviation committee has so far been silent about the news. Without Armenia’s permission, Azerbaijani overflights can become a new source of tensions.
The Azerbaijani national carrier AZAL said in a statement on Wednesday, “From now on, AZAL can use all available air corridors, including those passing through the territories of Armenia and Iran, in carrying out this flight.”
Tensions between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have spiked in recent weeks, as Baku arrested two Iranian truck drivers travelling to Armenia in a segment of territory under its control. Iran announced Tuesday that it will not allow Azerbaijani flights carrying military provisions to use its airspace to reach Nakhchevan. The enclave is surrounded by Iran and Armenia.
It is not clear why the civilian airliner wants to divert all its flights.
Land transit from Azerbaijan Republic through Iran to Nachchevan has not been restricted.
