A growing number of international airlines have cancelled, suspended, or rerouted flights to and over the Middle East.
This development is coming after coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran triggered widespread airspace closures and heightened safety concerns, aviation authorities and carriers said on Saturday.
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The closures, which have affected airspaces over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Jordan, forced carriers to adjust operations quickly to protect passengers and crew.
Consequently, commercial air traffic in some corridors was sharply reduced as skies effectively went offline amid the restrictions.
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Major carriers halt services
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that several international airlines have publicly confirmed changes to their schedules, with some routes paused entirely, while others were rerouted to avoid restricted airspace.
Air France‑KLM Group cancelled services to and from Tel Aviv (Israel) and Beirut (Lebanon), and moved up the suspension of its Amsterdam‑Tel Aviv route.
British Airways stopped flights to Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman.
Lufthansa also postponed flights to Israel, Beirut, Oman, and Dubai, while avoiding affected regional airspace.
Similarly, Wizz Air halted services to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman through early next week.
In addition, Japan Airlines cancelled flights between Tokyo and Doha due to the restrictions.
Turkish Airlines suspended flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan, and also cancelled services to some Gulf destinations.
Qatar Airways further confirmed it halted flights to and from Doha after the temporary closure of Qatari airspace.
Norwegian Air paused flights to and from Dubai as it monitors ongoing conditions.
Beyond these carriers, other airlines have been affected either directly or through route adjustments, with some flights diverted to avoid Iraqi or Iranian airspace as safety concerns persist.
Regional impact
The wave of cancellations follows a significant escalation in tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which led several Middle Eastern countries to close or restrict their airspace as a precautionary measure to protect civilian aviation.
As a result, disruptions have highlighted industry concerns about the safety of key international corridors linking Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Several Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, coordinated with civil aviation authorities to halt departures and arrivals while assessing the security situation.
Many air carriers warned that once the skies begin to reopen, flight schedules could continue to experience delays and adjustments as normal operations are restored.
Travellers in limbo
For many passengers, the disruption means more than an altered schedule. Families travelling for reunions, business delegates, and holidaymakers have reported confusion at airports as flights were cancelled without adequate advance notices.
A frequent traveller based in Kano, who does not want his name in print, described the situation as “pure chaos” after his connecting flight through Dubai was abruptly cancelled.
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“There was no clear explanation, just that the flights were suspended. Now I’m trying to get rebooked through another city, but no flights are available now,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, airlines have urged affected travellers to regularly check official communication channels and airport flight‑status tools for the latest updates on cancellations, rebookings, or alternative routings.
In addition, many carriers have deployed extra ground staff at key hubs to help passengers navigate sudden changes, offer refunds, or adjust itineraries.
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