Coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran have sent shockwaves through global aviation, forcing airlines across continents to cancel services, reroute aircraft and suspend operations.
Multiple countries across the Middle East have shut their airspace. The sweeping closures have left thousands of passengers stranded or diverted as airlines scrambled to respond to the fast-changing security environment.
Air India
Air India announced an immediate suspension of all flights to Middle Eastern destinations. In a travel advisory, the airline said further operational decisions would be guided by ongoing safety evaluations.
“In view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for our passengers and crew,” the airline said.
IndiGo
IndiGo said it was closely monitoring developments around Iranian airspace and urged passengers to check flight statuses before travelling.
“In view of the evolving situation around Iran and the Middle East, our flight operations to and from the Middle East and other select international sectors have been suspended until 1st March 2026,” the airline said.
Aegean Airlines
Greece's largest carrier, Aegean Airlines, suspended numerous flights till March 3, citing operational and safety concerns.
“Due to recent events in the Middle East, we are proceeding with the cancellation of our flights to/from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Erbil and Baghdad for the period 28/02/26 - 03/03/26 and also to/from Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the period 28/02/26 - 01/03/26. Passengers affected by the above cancellations may request a refund, a credit voucher or a ticket change without extra fee,” the airlines said.
Emirates
Emirates said it had temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai, according to a statement posted on X. “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai,” the airline said.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways said it had temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha following the closure of Qatari airspace.
“Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace,” said the airline.
Delta Air Lines
US-based Delta Air Lines said travel to, from or through Tel Aviv, Israel, may be affected due to the prevailing situation. The advisory applies to impacted travel dates between February 28 and March 5, 2026.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic said that as a precautionary measure, it was temporarily avoiding Iraqi airspace and continuing to review flight paths in line with the latest information and guidance from international aviation authorities and its own safety standards. It added that some services were operating on adjusted routings and could experience slightly longer flight times as a result.
KLM
KLM said that due to the security situation in the Middle East, some of its flights to, from or via Dubai (DXB), Riyadh (RUH) and Dammam (DMM) may be disrupted between Saturday, 28 February 2026 and Tuesday, 3 March 2026.
Air France
According to AFP, Air France cancelled its flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut. The airline said it would provide updates on its schedule for these destinations in the coming days.
British Airways
British Airways said it would suspend flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until next week, while services to Amman, Jordan, were cancelled on Saturday amid the escalating security situation in the region, reported the Guardian.
Lufthansa
Lufthansa suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, and Tehran until March 7, and suspended flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Riad, and Dammam until March 1. The airline also confirmed it would avoid these airspaces until March 7: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, and Iran.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines said flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan were suspended until Monday, March 2, and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman were suspended, reported The Guardian.
ITA Airways
Italy's national airline said that it has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 7. The airline will also avoid using the airspace of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Iran until that date.
Other Airlines
According to AP, US-based United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv at least through the weekend. Airlines including Transavia and Pegasus cancelled all flights to Lebanon, while American Airlines suspended its Philadelphia-to-Doha service.
US-Israel Strikes And Iran's Retaliation
A sweeping US-Israeli offensive on Saturday, described by officials as the most significant assault on Iran in decades, killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strikes prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran, sharply escalating fears of a wider regional war.
According to Reuters, preliminary data from aviation analytics firm Cirium indicated that airlines cancelled around half of all scheduled flights to Qatar and Israel, and around 28% of services to Kuwait, following the strikes. Overall, nearly a quarter of flights to the Middle East were scrapped.
For Sunday, 716 flights out of 4,329 scheduled to the Middle East have been cancelled, Cirium said, reported the Guardian.
