June 23, 2025 – A major wave of disruptions has hit the global airline industry as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East force carriers to cancel or reroute flights across key international corridors. The widespread changes come in response to recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which have sparked heightened concerns over airspace safety across the region.
Following the military escalation, aviation authorities and safety advisory groups—including Safe Airspace—have warned airlines to avoid flying over Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Jordan, citing the potential for retaliatory strikes, GPS jamming, and electronic interference.
As a result, airlines are scrambling to reroute long-haul flights, extending flight durations and forcing significant operational changes. Key air corridors over the Gulf and Levant region are now deemed high-risk.
Several major Middle Eastern carriers have halted flights to conflict zones, issuing broad suspensions until further notice:
Emirates, Etihad, and Flydubai have suspended all flights to and from Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with many of the cancellations expected to last until at least June 30, 2025.
Air Arabia has also added destinations such as Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan to its no-fly list.
The suspensions are affecting thousands of passengers, especially those traveling for business and religious pilgrimages.
Top global airlines are also taking precautionary measures, pausing or rerouting flights across the Middle East:
American Airlines, United Airlines, British Airways (BA), KLM, and Singapore Airlines have suspended or rerouted flights to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and other major hubs.
British Airways diverted a London–Dubai flight mid-air to Zurich and has since suspended services to Dubai, Doha, Tel Aviv, and Bahrain.
Singapore Airlines canceled two flights to Dubai, citing rising safety risks.
Qatar Airways, Delta, Lufthansa, and Air France have rerouted long-haul flights that normally traverse the Persian Gulf and surrounding airspaces.
India’s flagship carrier Air India has confirmed it is rerouting flights to Europe, North America, and the Middle East, avoiding conflict zones to ensure passenger safety. Passengers are advised to prepare for longer travel times and potential schedule disruptions.