Airlines cancel hundreds of flights after US and Israeli attacks on Iran

After the United States and Israel launched military attacks on Iran, airlines canceled hundreds of flights to the Middle East, and dozens of others were diverted due to widespread closed airspace in the region. Some services have been suspended until at least the end of next week.

Travel disruptions have spread to Brazil and Australia. The airspace closure also forced airlines to suspend flights that normally fly through the area.

More than 1,800 flights to and from Middle Eastern countries were canceled on Saturday, according to aviation data firm Cirium. Sirium added that a further 1,400 flights within and outside the region were canceled on Sunday.

Qatar Airways announced it would temporarily suspend all flights, and Dubai-based Emirates announced that services at Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, had been suspended. In a statement, Emirates said: “We apologize for the significant inconvenience caused to customers affected by the disruption and are providing assistance with rebookings, refunds and alternative travel arrangements.” “The safety and security of our passengers and crew remains our top priority.”

According to Flightradar 24, airspace was closed over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

Air India on Saturday announced the suspension of all flights to the Middle East. It later also canceled flights scheduled for Sunday between India and Europe and the United States, showing how airspace closures are affecting flights that regularly pass through the region. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways also canceled all departures to and from the airport until Sunday afternoon.

Lufthansa Group has announced that it will suspend flights to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Tehran until March 7th. It also announced that some flights would be rerouted to avoid the airspace in the area.

Ann american airlines The flight from Philadelphia to Doha turned around near Spain and was on its way back to Philadelphia as of 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday, according to Flight Radar 24. Emirates’ flight from the United States to Dubai was diverted to airports across Europe. As of Saturday afternoon ET, the airline had more than a dozen crew members, including pilots and flight attendants, still in Doha, according to people familiar with the situation.

The crew members were advised to evacuate to a hotel in Doha, according to a memo to airline staff seen by CNBC.

“Our corporate security team and other teams across the airline were actively monitoring the situation overnight and continue to work closely with the U.S. government,” American Airlines wrote.

united airlines Flights from the United States to Tel Aviv are canceled until March 6, and flights to Dubai are canceled until March 4, a spokesperson said. He said the crew and aircraft departed from Tel Aviv and plans were underway to remove the crew in Dubai. The Tel Aviv flight is one of the most profitable for the carrier, which has the most international service of any U.S. airline.

delta airlines He said Tel Aviv flights would be canceled until at least Sunday.

Airlines are regularly forced to cancel flights or avoid parts of the Middle East due to safety concerns. Airspace closures also force airlines to take longer routes to other destinations that previously passed through the area, forcing them to use more fuel and increasing costs.