Iran-Israel conflict: Several flights grounded, diverted or cancelled
Flight schedule is subjected to adjustments as the situation evolves in the Middle East
Dubai: In the aftermath of Iran's attack on Israel, the Middle East has experienced airspace closures and diversion of flights. Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon have temporarily closed their airspace.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, which may trigger a wider regional conflict.
UAE flights
Due to the situation, two Flydubai flights bound for Amman, Jordan, and Tel Aviv, Israel, had to return to Dubai.
Emirates Airlines announced cancelling its Sunday flight from Dubai to Amman and rerouting some other flights. The Dubai-based carrier said customers departing or arriving at Dubai International Airport should check their flight status on emirates.com for the latest flight information.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it is rerouting several of its European and North American flights on Sunday, April 14, to overfly Saudi Arabia and Egypt following "notification of the closure of airspace over Israel, Jordan, and Iraq."
Other airlines
Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa have cancelled their flights to Israel and Amman.
United Airlines cancelled its Newark-Tel Aviv flight on Saturday due to Israeli airspace closure.
Australia's Qantas Airways has temporarily rerouted flights between Perth and London. Qantas has not cancelled any flights between Perth and London, but flight paths have been adjusted to go via Singapore.
Jordan declared a state of emergency and temporarily closed its airspace to all flights on Saturday. According to Haitham Misto, the chairman of Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, interference in Jordanian air traffic disrupted the country's GPS, resulting in planes in the vicinity being compelled to use alternative navigation systems. The airspace was opened later on Sunday morning.
The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority (CARC) has notified that the closure of Jordanian airspace has been extended until 11 am local time.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport in Lebanon has temporarily closed the country's airspace. The closure occured from 1:00 am to 7:00 am on Sunday, April 14, affecting all incoming, outgoing, and transit flights over Lebanon.
Consequently, all air traffic at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport will be suspended during the mentioned duration. The authorities in Lebanon have stated that they will continuously review the airspace closure and take necessary measures based on the situation.
Iraq's aviation authority has announced the temporary closure of its airspace. The suspension will be effective from 11:30 pm local time (2030 GMT) on Saturday until 05:30 am local time (0230 GMT) on Sunday. The Iraqi Aviation Authority stated that the ban may be extended if required.
Egypt's military and security sources have reported that the country's air defence is on high alert due to regional tensions. EgyptAir, the country's national carrier, has announced that it will suspend all flights to and from airports in Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon until further notice.
The Israeli airport authority has announced that it will close its airspace from 12:30 am on Sunday. As a result of the closure, Israel El Al Airlines has cancelled 15 flights scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Kuwait Airways has diverted all flights away from "areas of tension" due to safety concerns for its passengers.
Where are diverted flights going?
Due to several countries in the Middle East restricting their airspace, flights heading to Europe or the United States are being diverted. Typically, these flights are now passing through Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This change in flight path is causing delays of up to an hour for many travellers. Additionally, passengers connecting flights to other destinations are expected to be impacted.
Air traffic that used to fly over Iran is also being redirected through Tajikistan and Pakistan. Flight tracking company Flight Radar 24 has noted this shift in flight patterns over the Middle East.
Latest situation
The initial airspace closures in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel expired early Sunday morning. However, they may be extended if the situation persists. Israel's airspace is now open, and an Air Seychelles flight was the first to land at Ben Gurion International Airport at 7:30 am. Three El Al flights have also departed the airport on Sunday morning. Israel's national airline is headed for Prague, Athens, and Larnaca.