Major Airlines Cancel, Divert Flights Across Middle East Amid Escalating Iran-Israel Conflict

In response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, following U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, major international airlines including British Airways, United, American, Delta, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and others have significantly altered their flight operations over the Middle East. These changes involve extensive rerouting away from Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Israeli airspace, causing longer travel times, increased fuel costs, and widespread flight cancellations and delays, particularly at key Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, Amman, and Istanbul. British Airways notably diverted a flight from London Heathrow to Dubai after takeoff, landing instead in Zurich due to safety concerns, and subsequently cancelled multiple flights to the region. Other carriers have suspended flights altogether to volatile destinations including Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, and Amman, citing heightened security risks and airspace instability amid ongoing missile exchanges and retaliatory threats. The disruptions reflect the aviation industry's prioritization of passenger and crew safety amid rapidly deteriorating geopolitical conditions that have created one of the most severe regional aviation crises in recent years. Airlines continue to monitor the situation closely while adjusting operations to navigate the evolving conflict and associated airspace restrictions.