The Israel-Iran war triggered rapid actions from the aviation sector when Israel started attacking Iran. The growing conflict forced airlines operating in Middle East territories and European and Asian regions to either stop flying altogether or change their routes or steer clear of danger zones.
Airline operations affected by the conflict can be better understood through separate analysis of each airline region.
Middle East Airlines: Frontline carriers take immediate action
✈️Emirates (UAE)
The airline suspended all flights to Tehran, Baghdad, Amman, and Beirut for the period until June 15.
Tehran flights were temporarily halted on Friday and Saturday.
✈️ Qatar Airways
The airline stopped all flights to Iran and Iraq.
The airline stopped flights to Damascus in Syria.
✈️ etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi)
Abu Dhabi–Tel Aviv route flights became unavailable for operation.
Several flights took alternative routes through Baku located in Azerbaijan.
✈️ Flydubai
The airline temporarily ended flights to the following destinations:
Amman
Beirut
Damascus
Iran
Israel
Israeli Airlines: Total grounding amid security risks
✈️ El Al Israel Airlines
Most airline services stopped due to operations.
All aircraft were moved to secure locations outside Israel for protection.
✈️ Arkia & Israir
The airline grounded its domestic flights and international routes.
Aircraft were moved out of Tel Aviv before the outbreak of conflict.
European Airlines: Broad Suspensions for airspace avoidance
✈️ Lufthansa Group (Germany)
The airline stopped flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil.
All airlines must stay out of Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace until July 31.
✈️SWISS
Tel Aviv flights remained suspended until October 25.
Beirut flights paused until the end of July.
✈️KLM (Netherlands)
The airline stopped all Tel Aviv flights starting from July 1 until further notice.
✈️Air France (France)
Tel Aviv route flights remain permanently suspended.
✈️Ita Airways (Italy)
The airline halted its flights to Tel Aviv until July 31.
✈️Ryanair (Ireland)
The airline halted all Tel Aviv flight operations until August 31.
✈️Tarom (Romania)
Cancelled Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman (until June 16)
✈️Air France (France)
Suspended Tel Aviv flights indefinitely
✈️AirBaltic (Latvia)
Cancelled Tel Aviv flights (until June 23)
✈️LOT Polish Airlines (Poland)
Avoiding Iranian airspace
✈️ wizzair (Hungary)
Suspended Tel Aviv flights, rerouted others (for 72 hours)
✈️Aegean Airlines (Greece)
Cancelled Tel Aviv (until July 12), Beirut, Amman, Erbil (until June 28)
Turkish and Regional Airlines: Strategic suspensions
✈️Turkish Airlines
Flights to Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria remained suspended by the airline.
The airline conducted operations only during daytime hours in specific situations.
The airline redirected multiple flights through Baku.
✈️Pegasus Airlines
Followed Turkish Airlines’ model:
The airline suspended its risky flights to high-risk destinations.
Daytime-only flights in limited cases.
Asian Airlines
✈️Air India (India)
Diverting Europe/North America flights avoiding Iranian airspace
✈️Aeroflot (Russia)
Cancelled Tehran flights, rerouted others via Pakistan
North American Airlines
✈️Delta Air Lines (USA)
Paused New York–Tel Aviv flights (until Aug 31)
Israel-Iran war: Why are flights impacted?
The start of the Israel-Iran war caused Israel, Iraq, and Jordan to shut their airspace right away. Airlines faced an impossible situation because missiles flew through the skies while they lacked any secure route through what used to be a high-traffic air corridor.
As a result, many opted to:
👉Cancel flights outright.
👉Baku served as an alternative city for flight rerouting.
👉Nighttime flight operations became prohibited in conflict zones.
Final Thoughts
The Israel-Iran war revealed how regional conflicts can affect global air travel operations. Regularly verify flight information before your trip and purchase travel insurance to protect yourself. Political missile interactions create unpredictable flight conditions.
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