The US strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites have added to global travel disruptions, with flight cancellations continuing Tuesday despite President Donald Trump’s claim of a ceasefire being “in effect.” The escalatory attacks sparked air traffic alerts throughout the Middle East, leading to temporary airspace closures in Qatar, UAE, and other countries.
Qatar Airways suspended flights due to Monday’s closure of Qatar’s airspace. Emirates halted all flights to Iran and Iraq until June 30. Etihad Airways also canceled flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv through July 15. Gulf Air extended flight cancellations to Jordan until June 27.
Many airlines, including Singapore Airlines and British Airways, suspended flights to affected regions due to “security assessments” of the geopolitical situation. Air India ceased all operations to the Middle East region and North America until further notice.
Air tracking data showed 495 cancellations worldwide just after 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, following 834 cancellations seen Monday. Experts stress that airspace closures and flight diversions are critical to ensuring safety, particularly in case of future escalation.
“It is the responsibility of states to ensure their airspace is safe for passage of aircraft,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. “We do not want to repeat history like MH17, with innocent lives being lost in a missile strike.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/iran-travel-air-flights-cancellations-34a75a4aa1d402465e988c610dfdc50a