Qantas reroutes Perth-London flights due to Middle East

Qantas says it will divert Perth to London flights due to the conflict in the Middle East. (Julian Smith/AAP PHOTOS)

Qantas will again divert its direct Perth to London services, taking a different flight path as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Instead of the 17-hour direct flight, the service will take a fuel stop in Singapore to take a path that does not fly over the region.

Tensions are particularly high in the region after Hamas boss Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in July.

There are fears of retaliatory strikes, with US officials telling Iran and Israel not to escalate further as the conflict threatens to spread into nearby Lebanon.

Taking the different flight path means the planes will require more fuel, although returning flights from London to Perth will fly as planned with no stops.

“We’re making adjustments to some of our flight paths due to the situation in parts of the Middle East as a precaution," a Qantas spokeswoman said.

“We’ll contact customers directly if there’s any change to their booking.”

Qantas previously rerouted the same flight in April after Israel bombed an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus and killed a top general and six other military officers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously urged Australians to avoid the country and for anywhere there to leave by any means they can.

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