Airlines cancelled flights and rerouted aircraft on Monday after several Middle Eastern countries temporarily closed their airspace following an Iranian missile attack on a U.S. military base in Doha.
The attack came a day after the United States struck key nuclear sites in Iran. No injuries or deaths were reported.
The disruption affected airlines across multiple regions, including Europe, North America, and Asia. Air India suspended flights to and from eastern North America and Europe, citing the limited flight paths available between the Indian subcontinent and the West.
It also stopped all operations to the Middle East, diverting some flights back to their origin points.
Dubai Airports said it resumed operations after a temporary pause but warned of delays and cancellations. Bahrain and Kuwait also reopened their airspace after earlier closures. Qatar’s airspace remained closed for a period during the day.
According to aviation data company Cirium, around two dozen flights to Doha, mostly operated by Qatar Airways, were diverted, along with several flights to Dubai.
Kuwait Airways suspended outbound flights on Monday. Etihad Airways rerouted some flights on Monday and Tuesday. Spain’s Iberia, part of IAG, cancelled a planned restart of Doha service. Finnair announced cancellations of flights to Doha through the end of June.
Singapore Airlines cancelled flights to Dubai through Tuesday. Other carriers such as Air France KLM, British Airways, and Kazakhstan’s Air Astana also cancelled flights to Doha and Dubai on Sunday and Monday.
Air France cancelled flights to Riyadh and said it would suspend service to Beirut until Wednesday. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada had earlier suspended flights to Qatar and Dubai and had not resumed them.
The airspace closures add strain on airlines already avoiding Russian and Ukrainian airspace due to the ongoing war. Many carriers have shifted routes north via the Caspian Sea or south through Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Airlines are also concerned about the risk of accidental or targeted attacks on commercial aircraft in areas near U.S. military bases. Aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions noted that drone or missile strikes are a growing concern in these regions.
Additionally, GPS interference is increasing in politically sensitive areas. SkAI, a Swiss company monitoring navigation data, reported more than 150 aircraft were affected by GPS spoofing over the Persian Gulf in a 24-hour period.
