As the conflict between Israel and Iran continues and the United States get involved, the aviation industry in the Middle East is heavily impacted. Many international airlines have been cancelling and diverting their flights to and through the region, leaving passengers uncertain about their future travel plans.
On Monday, after Iran sent missile fires on a US military base in Qatar as retaliation for American strikes against its nuclear sites during the weekend, Qatar’s Doha airport halted operations. Moreover, Dubai Airport in the United Arab Emirates – the busiest air terminal around the globe – temporarily paused its flights, announcing further delays and cancellations afterwards. According to information from Reuters, Bahrain also temporarily closed its airspace.
“The closure of Qatar airspace will cause enormous disruption, not just to flights. There is a fundamental interconnected nature of air travel. So when disruption begins, it spreads almost like wildfire,” Aviation consultant Tim Atkinson told the BBC.
Aside from the fact that international hubs in the region temporarily halted their activities, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has also led to many airlines cancelling flights to parts of the region, and many more flights are being diverted in order to avoid the airspace.
This time-lapse of air traffic over the Middle East shows how civilian airspace cleared after Israel’s operation against Iran began. pic.twitter.com/aap8ilC2MI
— Brady Africk (@bradyafr) June 13, 2025
Local airlines
Qatar Airways was the first airline to be affected by the closure of the Qatari airspace.
“Qatar Airways confirms the temporary suspension of its flights due to the closure of air traffic movement in the State of Qatar. The airline is working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support impacted passengers, and will resume operations when the airspace reopens. Once usual operations resume, we anticipate significant delays to our flight schedule. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the airline shared in a statement.
Emirates has announced it will be suspending all flights to Iran (Tehran) and Iraq (Baghdad and Basra) until and including Monday 30 June 2025. As far as other flights in the region are concerned, the airline will continue to operate as normal, while making some adaptations.
Qatar Airways has temporarily cancelled flights to Iran, Iraq and Syria due to the current situation in the region.
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) June 13, 2025
The affected airports in Iran include:
– Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA)
– Mashhad Airport (MHD)
– Shiraz Airport (SYZ)
In Iraq, the affected airports are:
– Baghdad…
“After a thorough and careful risk assessment, Emirates will continue to operate flights as scheduled, using flight paths well distanced from conflict areas. Some flights may incur delays due to longer re‑routings or airspace congestion, but Emirates’ teams are working hard to keep to schedule and minimise any disruption or inconvenience to our customers,” Emirates stated.
Etihad Airways has reportedly suspended all flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv through 15 July, yet expects to be operating as usual.
Etihad flights are operating as scheduled. Guests should check flight status at https://t.co/CWJT5GvRGm and travel as planned.
— Etihad Airways (@etihad) June 24, 2025
Gulf Air, located in the Kingdom of Bahrain, has cancelled all flights to Jordan until 27 June.
“As the safety of its passengers and crew members remains a top priority, Gulf Air will continue to monitor developments in the region closely, and work with its partners to help accommodate and reroute passengers affected by these flight cancellations,” the airline stated.
International airlines
Many international airlines had previously already announced to be pausing their operations in the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran developed. Air France, Iberia, Finnair, American Airlines, and United Airlines are just some of those who have adapted their flight schedules. Moreover, the missile strikes of the US military base in Qatar have urges other airlines to take action as well.
For example, British Airways has suspended all flights to and from Doha through Wednesday 25 June, stating: “Safety is always our highest priority.” Singapore Airlines too cancelled part of their flights to and from Dubai through Wednesday 25 June.
Air India decided to cancel all flights in and out of the Middle East and to and from the east coast of North America and Europe “until further notice.” India-bound flights from North America were diverted away from closed airspaces.
Overall, since Israel’s attack on Iran, most flights have been avoiding flying over Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. This means that the corridor between Asia and Europe, an essential space for international aviation, has now been reduced to Turkey and Saudi Arabia. If the conflict in the Middle East continues, it is unclear what its long term consequences will be for the aviation industry.
