Airlines divert and cancel flights after Israel strikes Iran

Euronews

a day ago

Airspace across Iran, Iraq, Israel and Jordan was plunged into chaos on Friday morning after Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran.
Israel launched a missile attack on Iran early Friday, prompting a scramble to divert dozens of flights and alter scheduled services in an effort to keep passengers safe.
Air India, Qatar Airways and Emirates were among the airlines which had to divert flights due to the escalating conflict, with thousands of passengers landing in unexpected destinations.
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport is closed until further notice.
If you are travelling in the region or have a trip planned, here is the latest updates and advice from authorities.
Israel's flag carrier El Al Airlines has suspended flights to and from Israel and has said it is moving some of its planes out of the country.
Israeli airline Israir is also evacuating its fleet from Tel Aviv's airport, which it said was expected to remain out of operation over the weekend.
Many international airlines have already halted services to and from the airport after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on 4 May landed nearby.
Iran, Iraq and Jordan have closed their airspace until further notice, according to local media and pilot updates.
Flights which were in Iranian airspace when news of the strikes hit were diverted or returned to their point of departure.
"Traffic is now diverting either south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, or north via Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan," according to Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information.
More than 10 international flights that were forced to change their routes landed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Among these flights were those operated by leading airlines such as AJet, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Etihad Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
32 flights were diverted to Cyprus, with 23 landing in Larnaca and 9 in Paphos. Passengers diverted to Pafos will be offered hotel rooms, local media said.
Lufthansa has suspended flights to Tehran and said it would avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace for the time being.
Low-cost carrier flydubai said it had suspended flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran and Israel and a number of other flights had been cancelled, rerouted or returned to their departure airports.
Sleeper trains are enjoying a booming renaissance in Europe at the moment, but some travellers are still put off by the idea of sharing a cabin with strangers.
While many night services offer two-bed or single cabins, they are usually an expensive option and tend to sell out quickly..
Now, a new company is launching sleeper trains with entirely private rooms - and they promise tickets won't be more than the price of a flight.
Nox, a Berlin-based startup, says its mission is to offer a real alternative to short-haul flights in Europe.
From 2027, the company plans to operate its first Europe-wide overnight trains with cabins designed for one or two passengers.
'Sleeping while a train gets you across Europe is a great concept. But today people have to share their cabins with strangers, beds are tight, and it's often more expensive than air travel,' says Thibault Constant, co-founder of Nox.
'We want to change that and make night trains an essential part of European travel.'
Constant, who is known as 'Simply Railway' to his over half a million social media followers, has more than 400 night train trips worldwide under his belt.
He says this experience has been a crucial influence on the design of the new sleepers.
There will be three room categories: a single loft for one passenger with an upper-level bed and a seat and table; a double loft with a double upper-level bed and two seats and a table; and a double vista with easy-entry beds, the lower of which converts into seating.
All three room categories will have two-metre-long beds, and enough space to stand up and store your luggage. Some cabins will also offer windows with panoramic views.
Fellow founder Janek Smalla says the room design allows them to fit more people into their trains than traditional operators can.
'This, paired with a strict focus on standardisation and operational excellence, will allow us to offer affordable fares on over 35 European routes,' he adds.
The aim is to offer night train connections between 100 European cities by 2035. These include Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Budapest and Rome.
The company wants the network to become a viable alternative to short-haul flights, saying it aims to 'offer ticket prices as low as air fares'.
Interested travellers can already explore planned timetables and prices on the Nox website. Single rooms will start at €79 and double rooms at €149.
There will be a food and drink service on board, space for bikes, and wheelchair-accessible coaches.
Travellers can join the free Early Bird Club to stay updated, receive discounted rates, and gain early access to bookings.