Multiple airlines saw flights through Middle Eastern airspace diverted, grounded or suspended over the weekend, after US warnings of “imminent” Iranian attacks on Israel turned into a missile bombardment on Saturday night.
Israel said it had intercepted 99% of the unmanned aerial strikes and re-opened its airspace on Sunday after a six-and-a-half-hour closure. Lebanese and Jordanian airspace was also closed. The disruption to schedules is likely to continue to be felt for at least a few days.
Background
In the wake of a 1 April Israeli attack that killed several high-up Iranian officials in the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iran threatened retaliations, saying Israel “must be punished and it shall be”. In response, Israel in turn promised further military action “in Iran” if Iran attempted to target Israel.
The Israeli Defence Force has also been using “jamming” and “spoofing” to disrupt the satellite signals that aircraft use to navigate and this has created concern for aviation in the region.
US intelligence services recently warned that, prompted by Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, strikes by Iran and its proxies, such as Yemeni-based Houthi rebels operating drones and missiles in the Red Sea area, were “imminent” and Anthony Blinken promised the US would “stand with” Israel.
Lufthansa suspends flights to Iran
Adding to the tensions, Tehran’s semi-official news agency, Mehr, reported on X last week that Iran’s defence minister had announced the airspace over Tehran would be closed from 8:30 pm GMT last Wednesday “due to military drills”.
Though the airspace was not closed and the news agency later denied issuing any such notice, Lufthansa went ahead and announced the suspension of flights between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA). According to an airline spokesperson, the measure was put into place “due to the situation in the region.” Data from Flightradar24 shows that the airline has not flown its regular service to Tehran since 4 April 2024.
Multiple carriers divert and suspend Israel flights
That makes Austrian Airlines the only other European carrier still flying to Tehran. Concessions to the security situation have included adjustments to its flight schedule to allow flights to operate without a layover “as a precautionary measure”.
The aim is to minimise any unnecessary length of time spent in the Iranian capital, with the airline pointing out that “it is possible to fly Vienna-Tehran-Vienna without a night stop within the legally permitted working hours of the crew.” The situation would continue to be assessed, a spokesperson has confirmed.
Iran’s flag carrier, Iran Air, meanwhile, also operates flights between Tehran, Frankfurt and Bonn, and has not adjusted its schedules.
The anticipated strikes on Israel eventually came on Saturday. Swathes of carriers responded by rerouting or cancelling services to the region, particularly to Amman and Tel Aviv, including Air France, British Airways, El Al, Lufthansa, United, and Swiss International Airlines. American and Delta have still not resumed flights to Israel, so have no flights to cancel.
Some services are set to resume within a few days, while other operators continue to monitor the situation. Would-be flyers are advised to check schedules with airlines and airports before departure.
