Iran's airspace closure extended
Iranian civil aviation authorities said on Sunday that it has extended the closure of the country's airspace until 3:00pm today (11:30 GMT).
Passengers are urged to avoid visiting Iran's airports and follow updates on its website.
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Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Iran's airspace closure extended
Iranian civil aviation authorities said on Sunday that it has extended the closure of the country's airspace until 3:00pm today (11:30 GMT). Passengers are urged to avoid visiting Iran's airports and follow updates on its website.
Arabian Post
a day ago
- Arabian Post
Airspace Shutdown Hits Airlines Amid Israel‑Iran Strikes
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Over 1,800 flights have been disrupted and more than 650 cancelled after Israel's airstrikes on Iran prompted sweeping airspace closures over Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria, prompting carriers worldwide to reroute or suspend services. Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport remains closed indefinitely, while Iran's state media confirmed grounding all flights. The European Union's aviation safety agency has classified the region as a high-risk zone. Flight-tracking platforms like Flightradar24 and Cirium recorded a sudden clearance of air traffic in the affected region. Planes were diverted south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia or north through Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia. Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Air India, Lufthansa, British Airways, Delta, United, and El Al have either cancelled or dequeued flights due to safety concerns. ADVERTISEMENT El Al announced suspension of all inbound and outbound operations, evacuating its fleet from Israel. Its budget counterpart, Israir, has similarly withdrawn aircraft from Tel Aviv, with full suspension through to at least 15 June. On the US side, United suspended its Newark–Tel Aviv service until 30 June, and Delta halted routes from JFK through 31 August. In Europe, national carriers tightened flight operations. Lufthansa extended cancellations to Tel Aviv and Tehran through July, and halted flights to Amman and Beirut until 20 June. KLM, SWISS, Aegean, Ryanair, and EasyJet collectively cancelled flights into Israel, some as late as October. Turkish Airlines, Flydubai, Pegasus, and AJet suspended routes to Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria until mid‑June. The flight disruptions are exacting a toll on airlines' financial performance. US carriers Delta, United and American saw share prices fall between 3.5% and 5%, while the US Global JETS ETF dropped around 3.5%. Rising oil prices—spiking between 7% and 11%—have compounded the burden. Investor sentiment across transatlantic carriers remains cautious as volatility in the Middle East continues to unsettle markets. Aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions reports six commercial aircraft have been shot down unintentionally, with three near-miss incidents since 2001, including downed civilian jets in Kazakhstan and Sudan. Such events have heightened the emphasis on airspace risk assessment in conflict zones. International Air Transport Association Director‑General Willie Walsh stressed the need for more coordinated information sharing between states, airlines, and global flight advisory systems. Operation Rising Lion, the designation given to Israel's offensive, involved over 200 fighter jets striking more than 100 Iranian targets—including nuclear enrichment sites at Natanz, ballistic missile facilities, and senior military commanders. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes, although most were intercepted. The escalation has forced Israel to place its defence units on high alert for further retaliation. Operationally, airlines have adapted fast. Air India rerouted 12–16 flights—spanning transatlantic and Europe‑India services—via Vienna, Frankfurt and other hubs. Emirates diverted flights from Manchester to Istanbul, and Flydubai rerouted services from Belgrade to Yerevan. Abu Dhabi's airports issued advisories urging passengers to verify status before travelling, as disruptions are expected to persist through the weekend. The widespread closure underscores the commercial aviation sector's exposure to geopolitical volatility. As routes are restructured to avoid conflict zones, carriers face longer routings, elevated fuel costs, crew redeployments, and cancellations—all eroding profit margins already weakened by post‑pandemic recovery strains. Safety remains paramount. While no civilian aircraft have been lost in the current hostilities, the track record of past downings amplifies concerns. Airlines now rely heavily on real‑time risk intelligence from platforms like OPSGROUP's Safe Airspace and coordination with aviation authorities. Russia's Rosaviatsia has also barred its carriers from the contested airspace and banned flights to Iran and Israel until at least 26 June. Global aviation authorities now face calls to bolster measures: real‑time intelligence sharing, harmonised flight advisories, and contingency routing to maintain safety while minimising disruption. But as long as the Israel‑Iran confrontation rages, the skies remain fragile. Passengers worldwide are urged to monitor airline communications and government travel advisories as the situation remains highly fluid.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
UAE's airlines cancel several flights as Israel strikes Iran
Airlines in the United Arab Emirates have suspended flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran and Israel after Tel Aviv launched a wave of attacks on Iran targeting nuclear and military sites. The UAE capital's international airport warned of flight disruptions on Friday. 'Flight disruptions are expected through today at Zayed International Airport. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest status of their flights before travelling to the airport,' the Abu Dhabi airport said in a statement on X. Emirates airline said flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran had been cancelled on Friday. Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website, with the Dubai international airport also reporting that 'some flights at @DXB and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria' in a statement on X. Earlier Friday, Jordan and Iraq, which both lie between Israel and Iran, announced they had closed their airspace and grounded all flights. Syria also closed its airspace. Meanwhile, Sharjah Airport advises all passengers to regularly check their flight updates, as several cancellations and delays have been reported on Friday due to airspace closures in certain regions. Passengers are encouraged to contact their airlines directly to confirm the status of their flight before heading to the airport, ensuring a seamless travel experience. Sharjah Airport reassures passengers that it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant authorities and is implementing all necessary operational measures to maintain the highest standards of safety and service. Other global airlines on Friday cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, as airspaces shut following Israeli strikes on Iran. Air India diverted or called back a total of 16 flights between India and London and cities in Canada and the United States 'due to the emerging situation in Iran.' Air India's New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin, according to aircraft tracker Flight Aware. Its London-New Delhi flight had just entered Iranian airspace and was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to Flight Aware. Qatar Airways, the country's national carrier and one of the Middle East's largest, said it had 'temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region.' Air France said it was suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv 'until further notice' following the closure of Israeli airspace. 'Air France is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in real time,' a spokesman for the French airline said, adding that 'the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority.' Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya instructed Russian airlines not to fly 'in the airspace of Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Iran' or use airports in Israel and Iran. It said the restrictions will stay in place until June 26 or until further notice. German airline group Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tehran until July 31. It also extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights for the same period. Swiss airline, which is owned by Lufthansa, suspended its Tel Aviv flights until October 25 while those to Beirut were suspended until the end of July. Separately, Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held phone conversations on Friday with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly State of Qatar; Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Sultanate of Oman; Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the friendly Republic of France; and David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the friendly United Kingdom. The discussions focused on the latest developments in the region following the Israeli attacks on Iran. The UAE top diplomat and the esteemed ministers addressed the implications of these developments on regional security and stability, as well as on international peace and security. WAM/ Agencies
