Paris, Jan 8 (AFP/APP): Several international airlines said Wednesday they would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at bases housing US troops in Iraq. Lufthansa and its Austrian Airlines unit nonetheless decided to maintain flights to the Iranian capital, Tehran, this week, a statement said. Iran launched more than 20 missiles at bases housing US troops in the early hours, officials in Washington and Tehran said. Iran’s supreme leader called the attacks a “slap in the face” after a US drone strike killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad international airport last week. In Germany, Lufthansa said it had halted overflights of Iran and Iraq until further notice. But it added that “since Tehran Airport is open and there are no security restrictions for the approach route or the area around the airport, Austrian Airlines will operate today’s flight OS 871 to Tehran with a delay of around six hours. “Lufthansa also plans to resume the route tomorrow,” the airline said. Lufthansa said it had cancelled a flight scheduled Saturday to the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. – Iran/Iraq overflights – Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration banned US-registered carriers from flying over Iraq, Iran … Continue reading Airlines avoid Iran and Iraq airspace