The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice Monday banning flights of American commercial planes over Syria, citing extremist groups equipped with anti-aircraft weapons that could pose a serious threat, according to Reuters.
The latest notice replaces one that strongly advised U.S. flight operators against flying over Syria and urged them to contact the agency before flying there, Reuters reported. FAA said opposition groups in Syria have successfully shot down Syrian military aircraft.
The ban applies to all U.S.-registered planes, commercial operators and FAA-licensed pilots, according to Reuters.
The FAA also said "opposition elements" had warned civilian airlines not to provide service to Syria, Reuters reported. Armed extremist groups in the country are known to be equipped with anti-aircraft weapons that could threaten civil aircraft, the agency said.
The ban makes an exception for flights operated with U.S. government permission and U.S.-registered aircraft operated by foreign carriers, Reuters reported.
The FAA earlier this month prohibited U.S. airlines and other commercial carriers from flying over Iraq as the U.S. launched its first airstrikes there, according to Reuters.
"Due to the presence of anti-aircraft weapons among the extremist groups and ongoing fighting in various locations throughout Syria, there is a continuing significant potential threat to civil aviation operating in Syrian airspace," the agency said, Reuters reported.
Syria's conflict has killed more than 170,000 people since March 2011, Reuters reported. The civil war has been intensified by the rise of the Islamic State group, which controls broad areas of Syria and Iraq.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has barred all American airlines from flying over Syria, saying the ongoing conflict poses a "serious potential threat," according to Reuters.
The FAA had previously warned American carriers to avoid flying over Syria, Reuters reported. The new rule requires operators to contact the FAA before operating in the airspace.
The agency said the move was taken after "updated assessment of risk" and a lack of airlines wishing to fly in the airspace," according to Reuters. The ongoing armed conflict and volatile security environment in Syria poses a serious potential threat to civil aviation," the FAA said in a statement.
The FAA this month also restricted U.S. airlines and commercial operators from flying over Iraq while armed conflict raged and the United States launched air strikes, Reuters reported.
