Airlines Scramble to Divert Flights as Israel Launches Attacks on Iran
A significant escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran has led to a surge in airline flight diversions and cancellations, as the Israeli military launched a series of attacks on Iranian targets. According to data from Flightradar24, airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan on Friday, with carriers scrambling to keep passengers and crew safe.
The situation is becoming increasingly complex, with proliferating conflict zones around the world posing a growing burden on airline operations and profitability, as well as a safety concern. As reported by the New York Post, citing data from aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions, six commercial aircraft have been shot down unintentionally and three nearly missed since 2001.
Israel’s military operation, which began on Friday, targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and military commanders, according to a statement from the Israeli government. The country’s air defense units were stood up to high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines suspended flights to and from Israel.
Iranian airspace has been closed until further notice, according to state media and notices to pilots. As reports of strikes on Iran emerged, a number of commercial flights by airlines, including Dubai’s Emirates, Lufthansa, and Air India, were flying over Iran. Air India, which overflies Iran for its Europe and North American flights, said several flights were being diverted or returned to their origin, including ones from New York, Vancouver, Chicago, and London.
The New York Post reports that Emirates and Lufthansa did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iraq, meanwhile, closed its airspace and suspended all traffic at its airports early on Friday, according to Iraqi state media. Eastern Iraq near the border with Iran contains one of the world’s busiest air corridors, with dozens of flights crossing between Europe and the Gulf, many on routes from Asia to Europe, at any one moment.
Flights steadily diverted over Central Asia or Saudi Arabia, flight tracking data showed. Jordan, which sits between Israel and Iraq, closed its airspace several hours after the Israeli campaign began. "The situation is still emerging – operators should use a high degree of caution in the region at this time," according to Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares flight risk information.
The impact on air travel was significant, with several flights due to land in Dubai diverted early on Friday. An Emirates flight from Manchester to Dubai was diverted to Istanbul, and a flydubai flight from Belgrade diverted to Yerevan, Armenia. Budget carrier flydubai said it had suspended flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran, and Israel, and a number of other flights had been canceled, rerouted, or returned to their departure airports.
Qatar Airways canceled its two scheduled flights to Damascus on Friday, Flightradar24 data shows. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East since October 2023 has led to commercial aviation sharing the skies with short-notice barrages of drones and missiles across major flight paths – some of which were reportedly close enough to be seen by pilots and passengers.
According to Eurocontrol data, airspace in the Middle East was crossed daily by 1,400 flights to and from Europe last year. The increasing complexity of the situation has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in the region. As noted by the New York Post, planes were shot down by weaponry in Kazakhstan and in Sudan last year, following the high-profile downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 and of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 en route from Tehran in 2020.
The situation is being closely monitored by airlines, regulators, and aviation experts, who are working to minimize the risks to passengers and crew. As reported by the New York Post, citing a source, "The situation is still emerging – operators should use a high degree of caution in the region at this time." The New York Post has learned that authorities are urging airlines to exercise caution when flying over the region.
Original source: https://nypost.com/2025/06/13/world-news/iran-iraq-and-jordan-close-airspace-and-israel-shuts-airport-after-attacks/
