Air travellers have been thrown into disarray after flights between Western Europe and the Middle East were abruptly cancelled following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that a “major combat operation” had taken place, triggering widespread disruption across the region. In response to the escalating conflict, both Iran and Iraq shut their airspace, forcing airlines to rethink established routes almost overnight.
With Israel launching missiles towards Iran and Tehran responding in kind, aircraft that would typically pass over those countries have been diverted.
Footage from flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows a steady overnight flow of planes from the Gulf travelling across north-east Iraq. Shortly after 6am GMT, however, that corridor fell silent, with flights rerouted westwards over Saudi Arabia instead.
Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest international hub — suspended operations. On a normal day, roughly 250,000 passengers pass through the airport, known as DXB.
The airport’s flagship carrier, Emirates, said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai.
“We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused, and we are assisting them with rebooking, refunds, or alternative travel arrangements. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”
Other airlines have also been caught up in the turmoil. British Airways passenger Mike Boreham was on flight BA108 preparing to leave Dubai for Heathrow when the captain informed travellers that the surrounding airspace had closed.
Reporting by new agencies.
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