Iran impact: Which airlines have cut, cancelled or rerouted Middle East flights

As tensions linked to Iran continue to reshape airspace risk assessments, airlines across Europe, North America and Asia have cut routes, suspended services, or rerouted flights across the Middle East.

Carriers are responding to guidance from their governments and regulators, recommending that airlines avoid Iranian airspace. The situation in the region is fluid. While some airlines have resumed services since the first raised risk levels in January, other airlines have recently reversed previous plans to restart services, extending flight suspensions until they are assured that flights will be safe.

Note: This remains a developing situation and will be updated.

Why airlines are avoiding Iranian airspace

With US–Iran rhetoric intensifying and military assets repositioned in the region, insurers and regulators are closely monitoring developments. Airlines are adjusting schedules accordingly.

Several major international airlines have changed their routings and schedules to serve destinations around the Middle East. Some flights have been temporarily suspended, while others have had their flight paths adjusted to follow airspace safety guidance.

EASA extends its warning to airlines for Iranian airspace

On 16 January, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) that formally recommended that airlines avoid Iranian airspace at all altitudes, citing the potential for US military action and heightened alert in Iran. The principal concern is that commercial flights could be misidentified amid a conflict, leading to catastrophe. 

“The presence and possible use of a wide range of weapons and air-defence systems, combined with unpredictable state responses and the potential activation of SAM systems, creates a high risk to civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels,” EASA states. “Considering the overall high level of tensions, Iran is likely to maintain elevated alert levels for its air force and air defence units nationwide. In the event of a US intervention, the possibility of retaliatory actions against its assets in the region cannot be excluded, which could introduce additional risks to the airspace of neighbouring countries where the US military bases are located.”

The EASA guidance applies to European airlines and third-country operators authorized by EASA who travel through the Middle East to and from Europe.  

EASA advised airlines to: 

• Cease operations within the airspace of Iran, FIR Tehran (OIIX), at all altitudes and flight levels
• Exercise caution and implement contingency plans when operating and routing within the airspace of neighbouring countries, especially where US bases are located
• Closely monitor airspace developments in the region and follow aeronautical publications, including information shared through the European Information Sharing and Cooperation Platform on Conflict Zones, as well as available guidance or direction from their national authorities.

On February 12, EASA extended the validity of the CZIB through to March 31, without changes.

KLM suspends Tel Aviv again — what we know

Dutch carrier KLM initially cancelled flights to Dubai, Dammam, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv on 23–25 January, avoiding airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Israel. 

The airline later resumed services to Dammam and Riyadh from 27 January, leaving decisions on flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv still under review. On 10 February, the airline issued an update stating that it was operating flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai “with an adjusted schedule.”

However, on February 26, KLM announced that it will temporarily suspend its daily flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv starting March 1, citing “commercial and operational considerations.”

KLM will update affected passengers and offer options to reschedule their travel. “We’ll do our best to rebook you and will be in touch shortly with more details. However, due to limited availability, it may take a little while,” the airline states in its traveller advisory. KLM also offers travellers a refund of their ticket. 

Qatar Airways extends Iran flight suspension to June

Qatar Airways has announced that it is extending its temporary suspension of most flights to and from Iran until June 30, 2026. The airline issued a notice to its trade partners on February 24, updating its limited services to Iran, a copy of which was shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). 

🚨🇮🇷BREAKING: Qatar Airways announces cancellation of flights to Tehran until June 30th.

What do they know? pic.twitter.com/AKjS0kxsTj

— Eli Afriat 🇮🇱 (@EliAfriatISR) February 26, 2026

The airline confirmed that it will maintain limited daily service between Doha and Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, with flights QR498 (DOH-IKA) and QR499 (IKA-DOH) from March 11 to June 30.

The notice also states that all other Qatar Airways services to and from Iran will remain suspended through June 30.

Which Middle East flights are still affected by tensions with Iran?

Below is a summary of the status of operations as of late February 2026.

How airlines are adapting to Middle East tensions

Airlines have responded to imminent warnings with short-term cancellations and made longer-term adjustments to their flight plans, balancing demand and operational costs.  

United Airlines initially suspended service to Tel Aviv in January but has since resumed flights. The same is true for fellow Star Alliance founding member, Air Canada.

Other carriers have adjusted flight paths to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace, resulting in longer flights that sometimes require fuel stops. For example, Wizz Air has had westbound flights originating from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, making technical refuelling stops in either Larnaca (LCA) in Cyprus or Thessaloniki (SKG) in Greece. 

Likewise, major Gulf carriers, including Emirates and flydubai, and Qatar Airways, have rerouted flights around the Tehran Flight Information Region (FIR), at considerable expense, with rerouting incurring $6,000 operating costs per flight hour, as reported by The National.  

The rerouting also affects passenger connections, with some flight times extended by 30 to 90 minutes. 

Also avoiding Iranian airspace, India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has suspended flights to and from Almaty, Baku, Tashkent and Tbilisi, after India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) advised operators to avoid Iranian airspace. The airline had first announced flight suspensions through February 28. It has since extended them until March 28, finding the routes unsustainable with the longer diversions required, given the Airbus A321neo’s range limitations. 

Other airlines have adjusted services to ensure crew safety. Members of the Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian, had suspended overnight flights to Tel Aviv (TLV) and Amman (AMM), while restricting operations to other destinations to daytime-only services, allowing crews to avoid layovers in the region. The airlines’ nighttime flights to and from Israel will operate with a stopover in Athens until March 6.

Lufthansa had planned to resume flights to Tehran (THR) earlier in January, but has since suspended its intentions to serve the Iranian capital directly from Frankfurt until 28 March at the earliest.

Which Middle East airports are most affected right now?

While the overall picture remains fluid, some airports have been more affected by suspensions and cancellations than others. 

Tel Aviv had seen widespread temporary pauses by major Western carriers, though many are now operating as normal. The escalating tensions have hampered tourism in Israel, raising questions about much-needed airport capacity expansion, including plans to build two new airports to support overflowing passenger numbers at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, as reported by The Times of Israel. 

Airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have seen a handful of evening departures suspended, but are now largely operating normally. Some longer flights are causing knock-on delays for flight connections. Passengers are advised to check the timings of their connecting flights at the airport.

Riyadh (RUH) and Dammam (DMM) also experienced targeted cancellations or restricted operations, but services have resumed for the time being.

Amman saw flights to and from India operated by IndiGo at risk of short-notice cancellations due to major airspace closures on the routes. 

Airlines will continue to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until the risk level decreases.

How long will Middle East flight disruptions last?

Following widespread protests in Iran against the ruling government, the US has been ramping up pressure on Tehran to scale back its retaliatory action. The bellicose tension escalated following the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East in January.

The situation is still ongoing, and risk levels vary daily. It is difficult to predict how soon the current tensions will dampen. National aviation authorities monitor events hourly and would update their guidance to airlines immediately if the situation deteriorates.

What travellers to the Middle East should do next

Air carriers continue to monitor regulatory and government notices and will make further adjustments to their flight plans as needed. This could include short-notice flight cancellations and longer flights.

Travellers to the region are advised to closely follow their airline’s flight updates through the airline’s app and website.

When risk changes cause delays and disruptions, airlines have generally offered flexible rebooking options and refunds.

Cancellation policies vary by carrier, so you should check directly with your airline what options are available. 

Featured image: Steve Lynes / Wikimedia Commons

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