Operations Prohibited Over The Gulf Of Oman And Persian Gulf

The FAA has issued a NOTAM prohibiting flights by commercial airliners and other civil aircraft over the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The restriction was issued Due to heightened military activities and increased political tensions in the middle east, which present an inadvertent risk to U.S. civil aviation operations due to the potential for miscalculation or mis-identification.

The NOTAM Applies to all U.S. Air carriers and commercial operators; all persons exercising the privileges of an airman certificate issued by the FAA, except such persons operating U.S.-registered aircraft for a foreign air carrier; and all operators of aircraft registered in the United States, except where the operator of such aircraft is a foreign air carrier.

The NOTAM Does not prohibit persons described in paragraph a (applicability) from conducting flight operations in the above-named area when such operations are authorized either by another agency of the U.S. government with the approval of the FAA or by a deviation, exemption, or other authorization issued by the FAA administrator. Operators must call the FAA Washington operations center at 202-267-3333 to initiate coordination for FAA authorization to conduct operations.

In an emergency that requires immediate decision and action for the safety of the flight, the pilot in command of an aircraft may deviate from this NOTAM to the extent required by that emergency.

Most U.S. carriers already avoid the area, so the NOTAM is not expected to have a major effect on routes or schedules.

FMI: NOTAM