Middle East Airspace Closes After Israeli Strikes on Iran; Global Airlines Cancel Flights

New Delhi —
Airlines were forced to cancel or reroute thousands of flights on Friday after Israeli airstrikes on Iranian sites triggered widespread airspace closures across the Middle East. The escalation marked a significant threat to global aviation and raised fresh concerns over flight safety and rising operational costs.

Israel confirmed that it had launched attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile production sites, and military commanders. The operation, described by Israeli authorities as the beginning of a longer campaign to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, immediately impacted air travel in the region.

Airspace Locked Down

Following the strikes, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan closed their airspace. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport also temporarily shut down. Airlines including Air France KLM, Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Israel’s El Al suspended operations. Delta Airlines cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv through August. Wizz Air rerouted several flights to avoid the region’s restricted zones.

According to data from FlightRadar, air routes over Iran, Iraq, and Jordan were deserted, with most traffic diverted through Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Major Disruptions

Eurocontrol reported that around 1,800 Europe-bound flights were affected, including nearly 650 cancellations. The situation further strains aviation routes already burdened by closed airspace over Russia and Ukraine due to ongoing conflicts.

Israeli carriers such as El Al, Israir, and Arkia began repositioning aircraft outside of the country as a precautionary measure.

Global Airline Reactions

• Air India rerouted multiple long-haul flights, including those from New York, Vancouver, Chicago, and London.
• Lufthansa halted flights to Tehran and is avoiding Israeli, Iranian, and Iraqi airspace.
• Qatar Airways and Emirates cancelled operations in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
• FlyDubai cancelled 22 flights between June 13–14 from Russian airports to Dubai.

Russia’s Rosaviatsia aviation authority advised all Russian carriers to avoid flying over Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan until June 26.

High Risk & High Costs

Aviation experts note that the Middle East is a key transit region for flights between Europe and Asia. The diversion of traffic south through Egypt and Saudi Arabia, or north via Turkey and Central Asia, will significantly increase fuel costs and flight times.

The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict since October 2023 has already heightened aerial risks, with commercial planes at times flying near active missile and drone strike zones.

Aviation Risk Profile Worsening

According to Osprey Flight Solutions, six commercial aircraft have been unintentionally shot down since 2001, with three near misses recorded. High-profile incidents include:

• Malaysia Airlines MH17 over Ukraine (2014)
• Ukraine International Airlines PS752 shot down by Iran (2020)
• Aircraft losses in Kazakhstan and Sudan in 2023

As tensions rise and more conflict zones emerge, aviation authorities and airlines are struggling to maintain both profitability and passenger safety in increasingly unpredictable skies.

News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.