Paris: Global airlines have swiftly altered their flight operations across the Middle East in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has now drawn in the United States. The volatile situation has prompted several airlines to suspend or reduce flights to ensure passenger safety amidst ongoing military actions in the region.
According to France24.com, the United States recently conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, following over a week of intense missile exchanges between Israel and Iran. The heightened tensions have led to significant disruptions in air travel, with major airlines taking precautionary measures to avoid the conflict zones.
Air France has announced the suspension of its flights to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates until at least Tuesday, and it has extended its suspension of the Paris-Tel Aviv route until July 14. Additionally, Air France's low-cost carrier, Transavia, has suspended its Paris to Beirut flights until June 30, while the Tel Aviv route will remain closed until September 7.
Germany's Lufthansa group, which includes airlines such as Swiss, Austrian, and ITA, has suspended its flights to the Middle East until June 30. The routes to Amman and Erbil, Iraq, are suspended until July 11, with flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran halted until July 31. The airline group is also avoiding the airspace of countries involved in the conflict.
Aegean Airlines from Greece has stopped its Tel Aviv flights until July 12 and has closed its Amman, Beirut, and Erbil routes until June 28. Turkish airline Pegasus has also suspended flights to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran, with varying resumption dates throughout June and July. Turkish Airlines has similarly halted flights to Baghdad, Damascus, and Tehran until at least July 1.
In North America, United Airlines has informed passengers of potential disruptions to its Dubai flights scheduled between June 18 and July 3, offering no-fee ticket changes under specific conditions. The airline has also applied the same flexibility to its Tel Aviv flights between June 13 and August 1. Air Canada has temporarily suspended its daily non-stop service from Toronto to Dubai starting June 18, with travel via a European stopover on a partner airline still an option. American Airlines is allowing customers to modify their bookings to Doha without fees for travel initially planned between June 19 and July 20.
In Asia, Singapore Airlines has cancelled eight flights to Dubai, with two flights per day affected from Sunday through Wednesday.
The ongoing conflict has underscored the need for airlines to remain flexible and responsive to rapidly changing geopolitical situations to ensure the safety and convenience of their passengers.