Major Airlines Cancel Middle East Routes Following Iran Military Strikes

International carriers have grounded flights across the Middle East after military strikes involving the United States, Israel, and Iran on Saturday. Multiple countries closed their airspace as tensions escalate, forcing airlines to suspend routes and reroute aircraft for passenger safety.

International airlines halted service throughout the Middle East on Saturday following military strikes involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that have thrust the region back into armed conflict.

Aviation tracking data revealed Iranian airspace nearly deserted as Israeli forces conducted operations against Iran while U.S. military forces launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets. Iran responded by firing multiple missiles in retaliation.

The military escalation has dashed expectations for peaceful negotiations regarding Tehran’s nuclear program disagreement with Western nations and renewed hostilities following recent weeks of American military positioning in the area.

This represents another major disruption to air transportation in the typically high-traffic region as Middle Eastern tensions continue rising. Given that most airlines cannot use Russian and Ukrainian airspace due to ongoing warfare, Middle Eastern routes have gained critical importance for connecting European and Asian destinations.

War zones present growing challenges for airline operations as aerial combat increases risks of accidental or intentional attacks on civilian aircraft. Extended flight paths also consume additional fuel, driving up operational expenses.

Following the attacks, Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan shut down their airspace, with flight tracking websites showing aircraft steering clear of these territories.

Multiple Qatar Airways aircraft that departed Saturday morning made circles over Kuwait and Saudi Arabia before heading back toward Qatari airspace, where they remained in holding patterns near Doha, flight tracking data showed.

Russian transportation officials announced Saturday that Russian airlines had ceased operations to both Iran and Israel.

German carrier Lufthansa announced it would cancel Dubai flights Saturday and Sunday while temporarily stopping service to Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Oman through March 7. Air France eliminated flights serving Tel Aviv and Beirut.

Spanish airline Iberia also scrapped Tel Aviv service, while Wizz Air immediately suspended operations to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until the same March 7 date.

Kuwait’s aviation regulators announced all Iran flights would cease indefinitely, state media reported, while Oman Air halted Baghdad service due to regional developments.

The United Arab Emirates implemented a “partial and temporary” airspace closure as a safety measure, according to state news sources.

“Due to the temporary closure of several airspace in the region on 28 February, some flydubai flights have been impacted,” an Emirati airline representative stated.

KLM, Air France-KLM’s Dutch division, moved up its planned suspension of Amsterdam-Tel Aviv service, canceling Saturday’s scheduled flight following the Iran strikes, a company spokesperson confirmed.

The carrier had previously announced Wednesday that flights would stop beginning Sunday, March 1, with only Saturday’s single Tel Aviv flight originally remaining on the schedule.

Virgin Atlantic decided to temporarily bypass Iraqi airspace, causing some flight path changes. Qatar Airways announced it had temporarily paused air traffic as a precautionary step.