Middle East airlines alter, axe flights following Iran missile attack on Israel
Late on Tuesday, Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in what it said was in retaliation for last Friday’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah.
Several Gulf airlines adjusted or canceled some of their routes in the Middle East Wednesday after Iran launched a missile attack against Israel the previous evening.
Late on Tuesday, Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in what it said was in retaliation for last Friday’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah. The attack has raised fears of an all-out regional war. Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s attack. Two injuries from the attack were reported in Israel, and one person was killed in the occupied West Bank.
The conflict continues to disrupt travel across the region. United Arab Emirates flag carrier Etihad said it was rerouting several flights on Wednesday due to airspace restrictions in parts of the Middle East as a result of the conflict. The airline said in a statement that it is continuously monitoring the airspace and security updates as the situation evolves.
It also canceled Beirut flights through Oct. 7.
Emirates Airline and flydubai on Tuesday canceled all flights to Iraq, Iran and Jordan scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in response to the rising tensions in the region.
“Customers transiting through Dubai with final destinations in Iraq, Iran and Jordan will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice,” Emirates said on its website. “We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments.”
Emirates, whose owner — the UAE government — also owns flydubai, canceled flights to Beirut on Sunday until Oct. 8.
The carrier also canceled some flights on Oct. 2 to Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat and London Heathrow.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways Tuesday said it had adjusted flight routes for some of its services, resulting in changes in arrival times. "This is in application of necessary security measures and to ensure the safety of passengers," the airline said in a statement.
In North Africa, Egyptair said it was suspending flights to Beirut indefinitely.
Royal Jordanian said that flights to the Lebanese capital were not operating "due to the current situation," without providing a date for the restart.
Iran Air and Iraqi Airways also suspended flights to the Lebanese capital “until further notice,” local media reported over the weekend.
Bahrain's flag carrier, Gulf Air, and Doha-based Qatar Airways also suspended flights due to the conflict. "Due to the continuing situation in Lebanon, Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport until further notice. The safety of our passengers remains our highest priority," Qatar Airways said on its website.
European, US airlines
British Airways also canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 7, while Air France stopped Paris-Tel Aviv flights until Oct. 8.
KLM said that Tel Aviv flights would be suspended until at least the end of the year.
US airlines have made similar moves. Last month, Delta Air paused flights to Tel Aviv from New York until the end of the year, while United Airlines suspended its Israel operations in August indefinitely.
American Airlines has extended its suspension of operations to Israel until March, having halted flights in the early days of the war in Gaza.
