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In recent news, British Airways and Singapore Airlines have made the decision to cancel flights to Dubai following the US’s strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. This adds to the growing disruption in air travel as airlines navigate conflict zones in the Middle East.
Over 150 carriers, including Air France-KLM, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines, had already redirected or suspended flights due to the closure of airspace over Israel, Iraq, and Jordan amidst the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The recent escalation of conflict in the region, triggered by Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran, has raised concerns of potential Iranian retaliation against the US.
For airlines, particularly European carriers, the latest disruptions pose additional challenges as they were already avoiding Russian airspace for flights to Asia due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. British Airways had to divert a flight from London to Dubai, landing in Zurich after nine hours of travel. Flights to Doha were also impacted, with all BA flights to Dubai and Doha suspended on Sunday, and flights to Bahrain paused until the end of June.
Singapore Airlines also had to cancel two flights between Singapore and Dubai following a security assessment of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. Flightradar24 reported over 3,000 flight cancellations per day in the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war, with airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Syria largely clear, and flights rerouted across Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
American Airlines, United Airlines, and Finnair had previously cancelled flights to Doha or Dubai, and Israel temporarily closed its airspace. However, local carrier Arkia planned to resume rescue flights once airspace reopened. Flightradar24 noted that despite the US bombings on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial air traffic in the Middle East was operating without further disruptions.
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