Middle East flights halted after US-Israel strike on Iran

By Reuters

February 28 - Airlines cancelled flights across the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into a new conflict.

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain was virtually empty on Saturday, maps by flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed.

The European Union's aviation regulator recommended that its airlines stay out of the airspace affected by the military intervention.

Below is the latest on flights listed by airline in alphabetical order:

AEGEAN AIRLINES

Greece's largest carrier (AGNr.AT), opens new tab suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut in Lebanon and Erbil in Iraq until March 2.

AIR ASTANA

The group (AIRA.KZ), opens new tab cancelled all flights to the Middle East through March 3.

AIR EUROPA

The Spanish airline cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday and Monday and is monitoring the situation to assess operations from Tuesday.

AIR FRANCE KLM

Air France (AIRF.PA), opens new tab cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel and Beirut in Lebanon for Saturday.

KLM brought forward the suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv service, cancelling the flight scheduled for Saturday. The Dutch arm of Air France‑KLM had announced on Wednesday that flights would be halted from Sunday, but has now advanced that date.

Only one flight to Tel Aviv had been scheduled for Saturday.

AIR INDIA

The carrier cancelled flights scheduled, opens new tab for Sunday from Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to London, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Frankfurt and Paris.

AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES

The airline has suspended flights to and from Dubai, Doha, Jeddah and Tel Aviv.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

ICAG-owned British Airways (ICAG.L), opens new tab said it has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 3 and its flight to Amman on Saturday.

CATHAY PACIFIC

Hong Kong's Cathay Group (1981.HK), opens new tab, parent of Cathay Pacific Airways (0293.HK), opens new tab, suspended operations in the region, affecting passenger flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh, as well as freighter service at Al Maktoum airport. That is Dubai's second airport after Dubai International Airport, the primary hub that handles most passenger traffic.

EMIRATES

Kuwait's Emirates said in a post on X it has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai.

ETIHAD

The UAE's Etihad said flights scheduled to depart Abu Dhabi were suspended until 2 p.m. local time on Sunday.

FLYDUBAI

The airline said flights were affected by the closure of Iraqi, Iranian and Israeli airspace.

IBERIA EXPRESS

The Spanish airline owned by Iberia Group cancelled a flight to Tel Aviv scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. local time.

INDIGO

IndiGo, India's biggest airline, said it cancelled flights to and from the Middle East on Saturday.

ITA AIRWAYS

ITA Airways has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv and would not use the airspace of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Iran until March 7. Flights to and from Dubai were suspended until March 1.

JAPAN AIRLINES

Japan Airlines (9201.T), opens new tab cancelled a flight on Saturday from Tokyo Haneda to Doha as well as a return flight on March 1, Nikkei said.

LOT POLISH AIRLINES

LOT Polish Airlines returned its flight LO121 from Warsaw to Dubai to Warsaw.

LUFTHANSA

The German airline (LHAG.DE), opens new tab suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut in Lebanon, and Oman until March 7 and flights to and from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday.

They also said they would not fly through Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace until March 7.

NORWEGIAN AIR

The Nordic airline (NAS.OL), opens new tab suspended all flights to and from Dubai until March 4, a company spokesperson said. The carrier did not suspend flights to Tel Aviv in Israel or Beirut in Lebanon as these destinations are only active in summer, he added.

SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES

The airline told Reuters it had suspended its flight to Tel Aviv from Copenhagen on Saturday. No decision had been made regarding flights on later dates.

TURKISH AIRLINES

The airline (THYAO.IS), opens new tab cancelled flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Saturday and flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan until March 2.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Virgin Atlantic said it will temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace, resulting in some pre-planned rerouting of its flights and has cancelled its VS400 service from London Heathrow to Dubai on Saturday.

QATAR AIRWAYS

The airline said it has temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

WIZZ AIR

The Hungarian airline (WIZZ.L), opens new tab halted flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until March 7.

It added that operational decisions would continue to be reviewed, and the flight schedule could be adjusted as the situation evolves.

Compiled by Josephine Mason; Reporting by Reuters buros; editing by Barbara Lewis, Louise Heavens and Cynthia Osterman