Escalating Conflict Prompts Airspace Closure and Flight Diversions
PARIS (Reuters) – Israel’s neighboring countries have closed their airspace, prompting airline crews to reroute flights amid heightened conflict after Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the flight tracking service FlightRadar24 reported that flights were diverting "anywhere they could". Regional traffic data indicated that flights were re-routing in wide arcs to the north and south, with many converging on Cairo and Istanbul.
Due to the situation, Istanbul and Antalya in southern Turkey became congested, necessitating some airlines to seek alternative routes further south.
On Tuesday, approximately 80 flights operated by Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, and others, originally bound for major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, were diverted to locations such as Cairo and various European cities, according to FlightRadar24 data.
In response to the conflict, many airlines have suspended flights to the region or are avoiding the affected airspace.
The Iranian missile strikes were launched in retaliation for Israel’s operations against Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon. Israel has vowed a "painful response" to these actions.
Earlier, the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol had warned pilots about the escalating conflict. In an urgent navigation bulletin, it stated, "A major missile attack has been launched against Israel in the last few minutes. At present, the entire country is under a missile warning."
Soon after, Eurocontrol announced the closure of Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, as well as a key crossing point into airspace controlled by Cyprus.
An Iraqi pilot bulletin declared that Baghdad-controlled airspace was closed until further notice due to security concerns. However, Iraq’s transport ministry later reopened its airspace to civilian flights. FlightRadar24, posting on X, indicated, "It will be a while before flights are active there again."
Jordan also reopened its airspace after a temporary closure following the Iranian missile strikes, reported the Jordanian state news agency.
Lebanon’s airspace is scheduled to be closed to air traffic for a two-hour period on Tuesday, according to Transport Minister Ali Hamie on X.
These disruptions are expected to add to the challenges an industry already facing curbs due to ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hamas, as well as Russia and Ukraine.
