Finance
Airlines cancel flights after US and Israel strike Iran
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 1, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 1, 2026
Quick Summary
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28 triggered widespread airspace closures across the Middle East, leading to hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and flight suspensions, as airlines rerouted or halted services amid escalating security risks.
Global Airlines Cancel Flights Following US and Israeli Strikes on Iran
Impact on Global Airline Operations
Feb 28 (Reuters) - Global airlines cancelled flights across the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into a new conflict.
Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Bahrain and Jordan was empty early on Saturday, maps by flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed. The European Union's aviation regulator recommended that its airlines stay out of the airspace affected by the military intervention.
Below is the latest on flights listed by airline in alphabetical order:
Airline Responses to Middle East Conflict
AEGEAN AIRLINES
Greece's largest carrier suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut in Lebanon and Erbil in Iraq until March 2.
AIR FRANCE KLM
Air France
Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel and Beirut in Lebanon for Saturday.
KLM
KLM brought forward the suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv service, cancelling the flight scheduled for Saturday. The Dutch arm of Air France‑KLM had announced on Wednesday that flights would be halted from Sunday, but has now advanced that date.
Only one flight to Tel Aviv had been scheduled for Saturday.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
ICAG-owned British Airways said it has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 3 and its flight to Amman on Saturday.
IBERIA EXPRESS
The Spanish airline owned by Iberia Group cancelled a flight to Tel Aviv scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. local time.
INDIGO
The airline said it was monitoring regional updates.
JAPAN AIRLINES
Japan Airlines cancelled a flight on Saturday from Tokyo Haneda to Doha as well as a return flight on March 1, Nikkei said.
LOT POLISH AIRLINES
LOT Polish Airlines returned its flight LO121 from Warsaw to Dubai to Warsaw.
LUFTHANSA
The German airline suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut in Lebanon, and Oman until March 7 and flights to and from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday.
They also said they would not fly through Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace until March 7.
NORWEGIAN AIR
The Nordic airline suspended all flights to and from Dubai until March 4, a company spokesperson said. The carrier did not suspend flights to Tel Aviv in Israel or Beirut in Lebanon as these destinations are only active in summer, he added.
SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES
The airline told Reuters it had suspended its flight to Tel Aviv from Copenhagen on Saturday. No decision had been made regarding flights on later dates.
TURKISH AIRLINES
The airline cancelled flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Saturday and flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan until March 2.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Virgin Atlantic said it will temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace, resulting in some pre-planned rerouting of its flights and has cancelled its VS400 service from London Heathrow to Dubai on Saturday.
QATAR AIRWAYS
The airline said it has temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
WIZZ AIR
The airline halted flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until March 7.
It added that operational decisions would continue to be reviewed, and the flight schedule could be adjusted as the situation evolves.
(Compiled by Josephine Mason; Reporting by Reuters buros; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Key Takeaways
- •Airspace over Iran and neighboring countries was largely cleared of civilian aircraft immediately after the February 28 strikes, severely disrupting regional aviation (businessinsider.com).
- •Over 1,000 flights were cancelled and major Middle Eastern hubs—including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha—saw operations halted, affecting hundreds of thousands of travelers (theguardian.com).
- •Regulatory bodies such as the EU’s EASA and India’s DGCA issued advisories urging airlines to avoid Iranian and surrounding airspace due to elevated threats of misidentification and retaliatory actions (aviation24.be)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Airlines cancel flights after US and Israel strike Iran
1Which airlines have cancelled flights due to the US and Israel strikes on Iran?
Airlines such as AEGEAN, Air France KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, and Wizz Air cancelled flights to affected Middle Eastern destinations.
2Which regions' airspace are airlines avoiding after the conflict?
Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Jordan has been avoided or closed, impacting flights across the region.
3How long will these flight cancellations last?
Suspensions vary by airline, with many halting flights until at least early March or until further notice as the situation evolves.
4Are European airlines affected by the Middle East airspace closures?
Yes, the EU aviation regulator advised its airlines to avoid affected airspace, resulting in suspended or rerouted services.
5Which destinations are most affected by the flight cancellations?
Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, Erbil, Amman, and Doha are among the most affected airports due to the widespread cancellations.
