If you happen to track Emirates flight EK261 on the right day, you might spot something unusual. The A380 aircraft from Dubai (DXB | OMDB) to São Paulo (GRU | SBGR) sometimes follows a rather unusual course.
What does the route look like?
Emirates’ flight from Dubai to São Paulo is a long one, usually around 15 hours (the average flight time is 14:57 according to our tracking data). It crosses some 6,650nm, which means a lot of fuel for the A380 to carry. The aircraft has a maximum fuel load of just under 254,000kg and a maximum take off weight of 575,000kg. A 15 hour flight, full of passengers and cargo, will need a hefty amount given it burns around 12,000-14,000kg/hour and needs fuel for potential diversions and final reserve on top of that. All this explains why, several hours into cruise, the flight is still only at FL320 (32,000 feet).
With that context, let’s look at that “unusual” route. They depart in a westerly direction. Direct from the UAE to Brazil by compass would require a track of around 244 degrees (a WSW heading). EK261 flies NW though, heading up north of Qatar through Bahraini airspace, before shifting onto an almost direct westerly track around the Damman area.
They route across the middle of Saudi Arabia and then exit Saudi airspace and cross the Red Sea to enter Egypt. They then track initially towards Luxor possibly on the L604/J874 airway, before turning onto a track of around 237 degrees which puts them on an almost direct course for their destination.
Here’s the interesting part
They fly through Libyan airspace. Now, it’s only a small corner where the airspace links Egypt and Chad, and it is most likely required to avoid Sudanese airspace.
From the Luxor position, KHG (the El Kharga VOR frequency 113.8) marks the end of L604/M999 and from here, a direct track routes them over the intersection of HLLL/Tripoli FIR, HSSS/Khartoum UIR and HECC/Cairo FIR. It routes them through Tripoli airspace where they exit around position LIGAT into the FTTT/NDjamena FIR/UIR.
Why is this Libyan shortcut unusual?
Many states prohibit or recommend against flight in the HLLL/Tripoli FIR for safety and security reasons. The UK prohibits any operators at all altitudes and levels. France requests their operators not to penetrate the airspace of Libya, Germany and Canada recommend theirs not to enter and the USA is slightly more confusing – it prohibits certain flights (but then has some additional notes of what these are and various other points).
Overall, EASA (in their conflict zone information bulletin) says “don’t go”, but does have a provision for operators heading into airports located on the coast where it says approach from the sea, talk to ATC, and do a really robust risk assessment.
So, most main aviation authorities are really not keen on their registered aircraft heading into this airspace. The reason for this is the hazardous safety and security situation in the country related to a lengthy civil war, and the presence of militant organizations and ongoing military operations.
Libya’s situation changed in 2025
Back in 2020, a permanent ceasefire was agreed, and over the last few years they’ve seen changes to the situation with political, economic and security factors improving. So, in January 2025, Italy (as part of a big bilateral agreement to support more development and restructuring in the country) also decided to allow their operators to fly to Libya. ITA became the first European airline to fly there since 2014.
Most airlines still avoid Libya
While Italy allows flights into Tripoli and Benghazi, and Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Belarus and Sudan all have direct flights in, no-one else currently does, including UAE based airlines like Emirates.
Overflights are however permitted by the GCAA – the governing authority for the UAE. A safety decision was published in 2017 covering airspace prohibitions, and version 6 was updated in July 2024 which allowed overflights across Libya. It prohibits all flights below FL300 (30,000’). In case you are wondering, the most current version of this safety decision seems to be version 11 (1 May 2025) which removed prohibitions related to overflying Syrian airspace as well.
So our Emirates aircraft is on an unusual, but legal and safe routing, and we are likely to see more from the region heading over that way too. In fact, through the last week in May, Qatar Airways, Max Air, and others are also cutting across the southeast of Libya.
Why use that routing at all?
Well, the routing is much more direct than heading southwards through Oman, offshore Somalian airspace and then across middle and southern Africa. There are still prohibitions for overflying Yemen on all but a few offshore airways, Somalia except for offshore routes, and all of Sudan.
This routing is relatively direct, and while the A380 has four engines and is not subject to ETOPS requirements (extended twin ops which keeps aircraft within a certain flight time of suitable airports), this route does ensure they have suitable diversion options along the way and minimizes the distance across the South Atlantic Ocean, keeping airports such as DIAP/Abidjan which is a suitable diversion alternate, closer.
Other factors influencing the route
A flight’s route will be planned for the specific flight on the day and takes into account many aspects. First up it needs to be legal – so not routing through any airspace that is prohibited. It needs to be safe – so taking into consideration weather conditions, alternate airfield options etc, and any airspace risk assessments will be factored in. Finally, it needs to be commercial – shortest route is one, but it might also consider winds and go for the shortest flight time. Things like permits and overflight costs will also factor in.
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