Flight 'chaos' in the Middle East: Israel's strikes on Iran grounds thousands amid growing uncertainty
Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian
Young Iraqi tourists never imagined their two-week vacation in Lebanon would end with indefinite hours of waiting at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Airspace over Iraq and Jordan has been closed. Some Turkish Airlines flights were canceled, leaving travelers stranded in Beirut.
Israel's strikes on Iran have plunged the region into uncertainty — along with the summer holiday plans of young Lebanese women that had been weeks in the making.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Airport anticipated flight disruptions, and Emirates canceled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran.
Dubai Airports also announced the cancellation or delay of some flights at both Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International.
It may be a war between two countries, but its fallout has rippled across the Middle East — fragmenting the region and grounding planes across once-busy skies.
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