Finance
Russia Suspends Flights to Iran and Israel
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 1, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 1, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleOn February 28, 2026, Russia suspended all flights to Iran and Israel amid widespread airspace closures triggered by a joint U.S.–Israel military strike on Iran. Russian carriers were instructed to reroute flights to the Persian Gulf region, extending flight durations due to safety provisions.
MOSCOW, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Russian Ministry of Transport said on Saturday that Russian air carriers had suspended flights to Iran and Israel.
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
The ministry said that in connection with the closure of Iranian and Israeli airspace, Russian air carriers, in cooperation with the ministry and Rosaviatsiya aviation watchdog, had worked out alternative flight routes in advance to ensure safe flights to the Persian Gulf countries.
Flight times will increase due to the longer distances, it said.
Rosaviatsiya said in a separate statement published later on Saturday that it had issued recommendations for Russian air carriers after Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait had closed their airspace to ensure flight safety, and UAE authorities had also introduced temporary restrictions on the use of their airspace.
The Russian airspace watchdog said carriers are advised to choose alternative routes when flying to the Persian Gulf countries, observing all safety measures and actively monitoring the recommendations of the aviation authorities of foreign states.
(Reporting by Ksenia Orlova; editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Aidan Lewis)
Russian airlines suspended flights due to airspace closures following military escalation between Israel and Iran.
Russian air carriers, with authorities, developed new routes to the Persian Gulf to avoid closed airspace.
Yes, flight times to the Persian Gulf will increase because the routes are longer.
Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE have also imposed airspace restrictions.
Rosaviatsiya, the Russian aviation watchdog, issues recommendations for air carrier flight safety.
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