February 28 (GeokHub) — Airlines across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East halted or rerouted flights on Saturday after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran triggered a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
Flight-tracking data showed large sections of airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, and Bahrain largely empty as carriers moved quickly to prioritize passenger and crew safety. European aviation authorities advised airlines to avoid airspace affected by the military action, prompting widespread cancellations and route adjustments.
The aviation industry, already sensitive to geopolitical risk, responded with immediate operational changes as governments assessed security conditions.
Major Airlines Announce Suspensions
Several global carriers confirmed temporary suspensions:
- Aegean Airlines halted services to Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Erbil through early March.
- Air France and KLM cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, with KLM accelerating a previously planned suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv route.
- British Airways suspended routes to Tel Aviv and Bahrain through March 3 and cancelled its Amman service for Saturday.
- Emirates temporarily suspended certain Dubai operations.
- Lufthansa paused flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Oman, and Dubai and said it would avoid affected airspace until at least March 7.
- Turkish Airlines cancelled multiple Middle East routes, including flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan.
- Qatar Airways suspended flights to and from Doha following the temporary closure of Qatari airspace.
- Virgin Atlantic rerouted flights to avoid Iraqi airspace and cancelled its London–Dubai service.
- Wizz Air halted flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until March 7.
- Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Japan Airlines, ITA Airways, IndiGo, LOT Polish Airlines, and Iberia Express also announced cancellations or route changes affecting destinations across the Gulf and Levant.
Airlines emphasized that schedules will continue to be reviewed in line with security assessments and airspace advisories.
