Airlines divert, cancel Middle East flights as Iran attacks U.S. base

Airlines diverted more flights in the Middle East on Monday after Iran’s armed forces said the country launched a missile strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar, as the region’s military conflict continued to disrupt flights.

More than 20 commercial aircraft bound for Doha, Qatar, diverted, while another four heading to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates turned around, according to aviation data firm Cirium. Meanwhile, flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 said airspace over the UAE was temporarily closed. Reuters reported that the island nation of Bahrain also closed its airspace temporarily.

Dubai-based Emirates said that some of its aircraft rerouted on Monday and told customers that some delays or longer flights are possible as it will operate its schedule as planned but with “flight paths well distanced from conflict areas.”

Air India said it has halted all flights in and out of the region and to and from the east coast of North America and Europe “until further notice.”

“Our India-bound flights from North America are diverting back to their respective origins and others are being diverted back to India or re-routed away from the closed airspaces,” Air India said in a post on X. “We request the understanding of all passengers who may be affected by this disruption that’s beyond an airline’s control.”

The carrier had previously announced some schedule cuts for enhanced safety checks after the deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787s shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India earlier this month. The cause of that crash is still under investigation.

British Airways said Monday it is canceling its Doha flights through Wednesday “following the latest developments.”

“Safety is always our highest priority,” it said. “We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options and will keep the situation under review.”

Earlier, major international airlines including Air France, Iberia, Finnair and others announced they would pause or further postpone a resumption of service to some destinations in the Middle East.

American Airlines had previously suspended its flights to Doha, and United Airlines had paused service to Dubai.

U.S. carriers had also suspended their Israel service after that country’s strike on Iran earlier this month.

The conflict in the Middle East has added to complications for airlines that have been dealing with restricted airspace since the Ukraine war began in 2022 and Russian airspace closed for many carriers.

Carriers have been periodically skirting parts of the Middle East because of security concerns, but closed airspace means longer, more expensive routes that require more fuel.