Low activity on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Beirut airport, with the cancellation of several flights operated by international airlines. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine)
BEIRUT — Airlines continued canceling flights across the Middle East on Sunday, as much of the region's airspace remained closed following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, which killed the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, plunging the region into new conflict.
The airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar was virtually empty, according to Flightradar24 flight tracking service maps. The airstrikes also led to closures or tight restrictions at several major Middle East airports, including those in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, of roughly 4,218 flights scheduled to land in Middle Eastern countries on Saturday, 966 — or 22.9 percent — were canceled. Including departures from the region, that number rises to over 1,800. On Sunday, Cirium reported that 716 of 4,329 flights bound for the Middle East were canceled. Flight tracking website FlightAware also noted that, as of 2:30 a.m. GMT Sunday, more than 19,000 flights were delayed worldwide, with over 2,600 canceled.Here are the latest updates about flights, by airline (in alphabetical order):
AEGEAN AIRLINES
Greece's largest airline suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv (Israel), Beirut and Erbil through March 2.
AIR ASTANA
The group canceled all its flights to the Middle East through March 3.
AIR CANADA
The carrier announced it has canceled flights between Canada and Israel through March 8 and its flights to Dubai through March 3.
AIR EUROPA
The Spanish airline canceled its flights to Tel Aviv Sunday and Monday and is monitoring the situation to decide on operations from Tuesday onward.
AIR FRANCE KLM
Air France has extended its flight cancellations to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh through Tuesday, according to an update to its flight schedule following the American and Israeli strikes on Iran, the airline said in a statement to AFP on Sunday. Air France added that the resumption of operations will depend on an “assessment of the situation on the ground” and that affected customers “will receive appropriate commercial measures.”
Its Dutch subsidiary, KLM, said on Saturday evening that weekend flights to and from Dubai, Dammam, and Riyadh had been canceled. The airline had already moved up the suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv route to Saturday.
AIR INDIA
The airline canceled Sunday's flights between Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar and the cities of London, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Frankfurt and Paris. It added that more flights to London, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Zurich, Milan, Vienna, Copenhagen and Frankfurt were also canceled.
AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES
The airline suspended its flights to and from Dubai, Doha, Jeddah and Tel Aviv.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
The carrier, owned by the IAG group, canceled its flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain through March 3, as well as its flight to Amman scheduled for Saturday.
CATHAY PACIFIC
The Hong Kong-based Cathay group, parent company of Cathay Pacific Airways, suspended its regional operations, affecting passenger flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh as well as cargo flights at Al Maktoum airport, Dubai’s second airport after the international airport.
EMIRATES
Due to multiple airspace closures in the region, Emirates suspended all operations to and from Dubai through March 2 at 3 p.m. (UAE time).
ETIHAD
The United Arab Emirates carrier said flights departing from Abu Dhabi were suspended until 2 p.m. local time Sunday.
FLYDUBAI
The airline announced the temporary suspension of all flights to and from Dubai until 3 p.m. local time Sunday.
ITA AIRWAYS
ITA Airways suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv and said it would not use the airspaces of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq or Iran through March 7. Flights to and from Dubai are suspended through March 1.
LOT POLISH AIRLINES
The airline suspended its flights to Tel Aviv through March 15 and canceled its flights to Dubai and Riyadh through March 2.
LUFTHANSA
The German carrier suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman through March 7, as well as its Dubai flights on Saturday and Sunday. It also said it will avoid Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace through March 7.
MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES
Although Lebanese airspace remains open, Middle East Airlines has been suspending a significant number of its flights since yesterday. Some cancellations have been necessary due to the closure of airspace in other countries.
All the details concerning Sunday's cancellations and reschedulings, March 1, are here.
The airline also announced the cancellation of two flights on the Amman-Beirut route, initially scheduled for Monday, and alterations to several others. Find Monday's updated schedule here.
NORWEGIAN AIR
The Nordic airline suspended all its flights to and from Dubai through March 4, a spokesperson said. It has not suspended its flights to Tel Aviv or Beirut since these destinations are only served in the summer.
PEGASUS AIRLINES
The airline announced the cancellation of flights to Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon through March 2 inclusive.
QATAR AIRWAYS
The airline said flights remain temporarily suspended because of the closure of Qatari airspace. A new update is expected Monday at 9 a.m. local time.
TURKISH AIRLINES
The airline canceled its flights Saturday to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, as well as its flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan through March 2.
WIZZ AIR
The Hungarian airline immediately suspended its flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman through March 7. It stated that its operational decisions would continue to be reassessed and its flight schedule could be adjusted depending on developments.
