Not only crude oil transportation, but currently the Eurasian route also has only a "50-mile aerial corridor."

```

Iranian drone strikes Azerbaijan, compressing the air corridor between Eurasia to the extreme.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on March 5 saying that the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan suffered a drone attack from Iranian territory, resulting in two injuries.

This situation, combined with the airspace restrictions over Iran, Iraq, and Qatar caused by Middle Eastern conflicts, and the long-standing ban preventing Western airlines from flying over Russia, has led to multiple blockages of the east-west routes between Eurasia. According to the Financial Times on Friday, after Azerbaijan's southern airspace was closed due to the attack, Eurasian routes were forced into a narrow corridor only about 50 miles (80 kilometers) wide.

Industry experts warn that if Azerbaijan's northern airspace is also closed, some flights will have to reduce passenger loads or divert thousands of miles via the southern end of the Persian Gulf. At that time, long-haul routes—such as London to Australia—may exceed the range limits of certain aircraft models.

Currently, thousands of flights operate daily between Eurasia, and because transfer at Gulf hub airports like Dubai is disrupted, passenger flows are highly concentrated. Virgin Atlantic has informed that flight times to India and the Maldives will be extended, but stressed that aircraft always carry sufficient fuel. Qantas has announced that the London-Perth route will make an additional refueling stop in Singapore, due to fuel pressure brought by route adjustments.

Strike closes Azerbaijan’s southern airspace, corridor abruptly narrows

According to the Financial Times, the drone strike was attributed to Iran by Baku, resulting in the immediate closure of Azerbaijan’s southern airspace. Based on Flightradar24 data, after the attack, overflight routes began to stick closely to Azerbaijan’s northern border with Russia, with the usable airspace corridor only about 50 miles wide.

This corridor is currently the last relatively feasible passage for Western airlines to maintain Eurasian routes amid ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.

The closure of Iranian, Iraqi, and Qatari airspace has already greatly narrowed the routes, while the ban on Russian airspace prevents Western airlines from bypassing via the north as their Chinese counterparts can. The closure of Azerbaijan’s southern airspace further compresses the already limited options.

If northern airspace closes, Australian routes take the brunt

Currently, Azerbaijan’s northern airspace—including the capital Baku airport—remains open. But Andrew Charlton, an adviser at industry consultancy Aviation Advocacy focusing on global air traffic, warns that if northern airspace is closed, flights will be forced to detour via the southern end of the Persian Gulf, adding thousands of miles to their journeys.

"This bottleneck is toughest for airlines that cannot overfly Russia and will further exacerbate geopolitical complexity," Charlton said. He noted some flights may have to voluntarily restrict passenger numbers to ensure they can complete their journeys. "Arguably, Qantas's London-Sydney flights will face difficulties, and possibly London-Perth as well. Sometimes, these decisions are made by the airlines, not the countries."

Qantas announced this week that London-Perth flights will add a refueling stop in Singapore. Both British Airways and Qantas operate mid-stop London-Australia routes, which provide some flexibility under current circumstances.

Major European airlines affected, Australasian routes widely suspended

Affected by the closure of Qatari airspace, popular Australasian routes transiting Doha have been suspended one after another this week. Air France, KLM, and Lufthansa operate frequent flights between Europe and Asia, and Cathay Pacific maintains regular service from Hong Kong to London. Turkish Airlines handles much of the Asia traffic, and since its hub is in Istanbul, it can refuel locally, providing some leeway for route adjustments.

Meanwhile, as the transfer function of Gulf hub airports like Dubai is impacted, demand for direct Eurasian flights and alternative transfers has surged, putting further strain on already tight routes. Industry insiders point out that the current situation's uniqueness is that geopolitical risks are spreading from the shipping industry to aviation, and Eurasia's physical connectivity is facing rare systemic pressure not seen for years.

Risk Warning and DisclaimerThe market has risks, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account individual users’ special investment objectives, financial situations, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their particular circumstances. Investments made accordingly are at one’s own risk. ```