Airlines cancel flights to Middle East amid regional unrest 

Several carriers have suspended flights to the Middle East after Iran fired almost 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. 

Dubai’s Emirates said on Sunday that it has cancelled flights to and from Beirut until October 8. It further announced Tuesday that it is cancelling all flights to and from Basra and Baghdad in Iraq, Tehran in Iran and Amman in Jordan from October 2 until October 5. 

It also said that certain flights to Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat and Heathrow Airport in London were cancelled on October 2. 

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said that it has cancelled its services to and from Beirut until October 8 due to ongoing regional developments.  

Qatar Airways has temporarily revised several flight routes due to the airspace closures on October 1, as well as suspended flights to Beirut until further notice. 

Kuwait Airways took to social platform X to announce that it would alter flight routes for some of its services, resulting in changes to destination timings. 

Lufthansa said that flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel and Beirut in Lebanon will be suspended until October 31 and November 30, respectively. The airline has decided to suspend flights to Tehran up to and including October 26, citing operational reasons. 

“Due to current situation, the Lufthansa Group has decided as a precautionary measure not to use the Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice. A corridor in the Iraqi airspace will be used for departures and arrivals to Erbil.  Regardless of this short-term flight schedule adjustment, Israeli airspace will not be used up to and including 31 October,” the German carrier said on its website. 

All KLM flights to Tel Aviv were cancelled until October 26, too. 

Note: Second paragraph edited with updates