West Asia airspace closures disrupt travel as US, Israel strike Iran

Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Israel and Iran imposed airspace restrictions as airlines suspended, cancelled or rerouted flights across the Gulf region following escalating military action

Airspace across several Gulf countries was restricted or shut down on Saturday as the ongoing Israel-US conflict with Iran affected commercial aviation routes, official advisories and global travel data showed.

Multiple countries closed or restricted airspace

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation issued a notice that effectively shut its national airspace to most civilian flights until further notice following strikes and counter-strikes involving the US and Israel. Flight tracking data showed no civilian aircraft over Iranian airspace during peak hours on Saturday.

 

Israel’s Ministry of Transport also closed its airspace on Saturday on account of the strikes, and asked citizens to stay away from airports. It added that it would alert passengers 24 hours before flights could resume.

 

 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a global hub for finance and tourists, said its airspace was closed to civilian flights amid heightened security concerns.

 

Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority imposed a temporary halt on its airspace, which led airlines to suspend departures and arrivals as a precaution, according to official aviation communications and media updates.

 

Kuwaiti authorities ordered the closure of national airspace due to regional escalation, with local news agencies confirming the suspension of flights until further notice.

 

Syria’s Civil Aviation Authority said it closed southern air corridors for a specified period due to the security situation, adding to the regional pattern of restrictions. Radar data showed a sharp decline in operations over key Gulf hubs such as Doha and Abu Dhabi during the day. 

  Across the wider region, satellite flight trackers indicated that Iraq also closed its airspace following the outbreak of hostilities.

Airlines suspended services 

Air India said it had cancelled all flights bound for the Gulf region until March 1. “In view of the current situation in the Middle East, Air India has cancelled all flights to destinations in the region until 23:59 hours on 1 March. Affected passengers are being informed, and our teams are providing all required assistance, including rebooking and refunds,” it said.

 

Several international carriers also adjusted operations as airspace restrictions spread across the region. Air France-KLM cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut, while KLM advanced the suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv route. Lufthansa suspended services to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Oman and Dubai and said it would avoid certain regional airspaces.  Emirates also said it has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai. 

 

Turkish Airlines announced cancellations to several Middle Eastern destinations due to the closures and uncertainty over safe flight paths. Greek carrier Aegean Airlines said it suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Erbil.

 

Virgin Atlantic stated that it would temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace, resulting in revised routings on select services. Wizz Air halted flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman until March 7, with a review under way. Japan Airlines cancelled its Tokyo–Doha service and the corresponding return flight.

 

Indian carriers also responded to the disruptions. Air India diverted its Delhi–Tel Aviv flight back to India after airspace restrictions were imposed. IndiGo said it was closely monitoring developments and advised passengers to check flight status before departure.

 

In the Gulf, flydubai said flights to Iran and Israel were cancelled or rerouted as regional airspace closures affected operations. Qatar Airways suspended flights following the temporary closure of Qatari airspace, citing operational safety considerations.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain position

At the time of writing, there was no verified report of a full airspace shutdown in Saudi Arabia linked to the latest escalation. During previous tensions, Riyadh stated it would not permit its airspace to be used for military action against Iran.

 

In Bahrain, authorities flagged defensive responses after they said a US military base in the kingdom was targeted. However, they did not confirm a nationwide closure of civilian airspace in the current situation.