Airlines across Europe, the Gulf, Asia and beyond have been forced to abruptly cancel and reroute flights to and over parts of the Middle East on Saturday after US and Israeli air strikes on Iran triggered a cascade of airspace restrictions and security warnings, stranding passengers and forcing long detours on some of the world’s busiest long-haul corridors.
Flight-tracking data showed large swathes of airspace over Iran and Iraq largely empty as carriers sought to avoid potential missile or drone activity and the risk of misidentification in contested skies, while multiple states in the region temporarily shut or limited access to their airspace.
Major Airlines Halt Services
A growing list of carriers suspended operations to destinations including Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Dubai and Doha, citing rapidly changing conditions and official airspace closures.
- On social media, Qatar Airways confirmed that it had temporarily suspended all flights to and from Doha after local airspace was closed. In a statement, the airline said that it was working “closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support impacted passengers and will resume operations when the airspace re-opens.”
- In the United Arab Emirates, Emirates and Etihad were among the major Gulf carriers that cancelled or rerouted flights amid the closures, with some inbound services diverted. Dubai International Airport has suspended all flights. Emirates said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai.
- Several European airlines paused routes into the region. British Airways suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman on specific timelines. An overnight flight from Heathrow to Doha was also forced to return to London. A British Airways spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the situation and have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain up to and including 03 March and have cancelled today’s service to Amman.”
- Virgin Atlantic cancelled its VS400 service from Heathrow to Dubai, which had been due to depart at 10.10 pm, describing the move as “a precautionary measure”.
- Lufthansa halted flights to multiple Middle Eastern destinations and said it would avoid certain countries’ airspace.
- Air France-KLM cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Beirut, and a range of other carriers — from Japan Airlines, Air Canada, Finnair and Swiss to low-cost operators including Wizz Air, FlyDubai and Eurowings — reported cancellations, turn-backs or extended suspensions.
Governments Issue Risk Guidance
The disruption widened as aviation authorities and regulators signalled elevated risk in the region’s skies. Reuters reported that the EU’s aviation safety agency issued guidance advising airlines to avoid affected airspace, and carriers adjusted routings accordingly.
Russia’s transport ministry said Russian airlines had also suspended flights to Iran and Israel, while its aviation watchdog was working on alternative routings for services to the Persian Gulf, an indication of how quickly the operational impact was spreading beyond the immediate belligerents.
Passengers Face Cancellations, Diversions and Long Delays
At Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, passengers were turned back and arriving flights diverted, according to the Associated Press, underscoring the immediate ground-level consequences of airspace changes that can occur with little notice.
Airlines warned that even flights still operating could take longer routes to skirt closed or higher-risk airspace, increasing fuel loads and the likelihood of schedule disruption across Europe–Gulf–Asia networks.
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