23.06.2025 20:41

Following Iran's reported missile attack on a US military base in Qatar, significant disruption occurred in Middle Eastern airspace on Monday. Numerous airlines altered flight plans, leading to diversions and cancellations across the region, creating considerable travel chaos for passengers.

Aviation data provider Cirium confirmed that over twenty commercial flights destined for Doha, Qatar were rerouted. Furthermore, four flights intended for Dubai, UAE, executed a complete turnaround, highlighting the severity of the airspace restrictions. Independent flight tracking service Flightradar24 corroborated these findings, reporting temporary closures of UAE airspace. Reports from internet sources also indicated the temporary closure of Bahraini airspace.

Several major airlines responded to the escalating geopolitical situation with proactive measures. Emirates, based in Dubai, confirmed rerouting some of its flights and alerted passengers to potential delays and longer flight durations, assuring continued operation but with adjusted flight paths avoiding conflict zones. In stark contrast, Air India took a more decisive step, suspending all flights to and from the Middle East, as well as the east coast of North America and Europe, until further notice. The airline explained that India-bound flights from North America were diverted back to their origins or rerouted to avoid closed airspace, appealing for passenger understanding regarding this uncontrollable situation. This decision follows a recent deadly Boeing 787 crash, which is currently under investigation, prompting Air India to implement enhanced safety checks.

British Airways also reacted to the situation by canceling all flights to Doha until Wednesday, prioritizing passenger safety and notifying affected customers. The evolving security concerns in the Middle East have undeniably caused widespread disruption to air travel, underscoring the impact of geopolitical events on global aviation.