International air travel came to a standstill across the Middle East on Saturday as major airlines grounded flights following military strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, creating a fresh regional crisis.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed completely vacant airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Bahrain and Jordan during early Saturday hours. European aviation authorities advised their carriers to avoid the affected regions during the military operations.
Here’s how individual airlines responded to the crisis:
Greece’s flagship carrier Aegean Airlines halted all service to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Erbil through March 2.
Air France grounded Saturday flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, while its Dutch partner KLM moved up its previously announced suspension of Amsterdam-Tel Aviv service, originally set to begin Sunday.
British Airways, owned by ICAG, canceled Tel Aviv and Bahrain flights until March 3, plus Saturday’s Amman service.
Spanish carrier Iberia Express scrapped its 5 p.m. Saturday departure to Tel Aviv.
Japan Airlines eliminated Saturday’s Tokyo Haneda-Doha route and the March 1 return trip, according to Nikkei reports.
LOT Polish Airlines turned around flight LO121 en route from Warsaw to Dubai, returning to Warsaw.
German airline Lufthansa suspended Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman service through March 7, along with weekend Dubai flights. The carrier also banned flights through Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace until March 7.
Norwegian Air grounded all Dubai routes until March 4, though a company representative noted their Tel Aviv and Beirut services only operate during summer months.
Scandinavian Airlines canceled Saturday’s Copenhagen-Tel Aviv flight, with future dates under review.
Turkish Airlines eliminated Saturday flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman, while suspending Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan service through March 2.
Virgin Atlantic began avoiding Iraqi airspace, forcing flight rerouting and canceling Saturday’s London Heathrow-Dubai service VS400.
Qatar Airways temporarily suspended Doha operations due to closed Qatari airspace.
Wizz Air immediately halted flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman until March 7, stating they would continue monitoring conditions for potential schedule changes.
The widespread disruptions highlight how quickly regional conflicts can paralyze international air travel, affecting thousands of passengers worldwide.
