An Air France flight flew over Iraq as Iran sent missiles to Israel

While Iran sent missiles to Israel on Tuesday October 1, Air France flight AF662 Paris Charles-de-Gaule-Dubai flew over Iraq at the same time, indicates LCI. Yet another Air France flight, bound for Bombay, was diverted as it began to fly over Iraq. So why hasn’t the AF662 also turned around? According to our colleagues, the pilots could see the missiles from the cockpit of the aircraft. These missiles were at an altitude higher than that of the plane, which was therefore in the Iraqi flight corridor after the shooting began.

Iraqi airspace limited to a specific corridor

Air France claims that the AF662 was well above Iraq when the first Iranian missiles were fired around 4:45 p.m. (6:45 p.m. Paris time). The plane then left Iraqi airspace a quarter of an hour later. “ The company’s aircraft already avoided Israeli, Lebanese and Iranian airspace. Overflight of Iraqi airspace was limited to a specific corridor used by all airlines,” explain the company. After learning of the attack, Air France claims to have suspended flights in Iraqi airspace from 7 p.m. until 7:56 p.m. French time.

An internal investigation was opened following this incident, according to a company spokesperson contacted by AFP.