Air France suspends air travel to Iran, Iraq

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - French flag carrier Air France on Wednesday suspended travel over Iraqi and Iranian airspace.

The action comes in light of Iran’s ballistic missile strikes on at least two Iraqi facilities housing U.S. personnel.

Fears of further military action in the Mideast and growing concerns over war caused the temporary halt to air travel to the two countries.

"Flight plans are adjusted in real time according to the decisions of the French and regional authorities, throughout the world, in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety," Air France said in a statement.

Early Wednesday Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq.

Iran's actions were in retaliation for last week’s U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

Singapore Airlines had already diverted flights from Iranian airspace. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has also said it would ban carriers from conducting travel in the region over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman.