Middle East Flights Disrupted Amid Rising Iran-US Tensions
Flights to the Middle East have been suspended by prominent airlines, among them Dutch carrier KLM, Germany’s Lufthansa, and Air France.
Amidst rising geopolitical tensions, top international airlines have canceled their flights to the Middle East.
Dutch KLM, Lufthansa, and Air France are among the major international carriers that have suspended flights to the region due to fears of a military confrontation between the US and Iran.
The cancellations have affected major destinations such as Israel, Dubai, and Riyadh.
Citing the geopolitical situation, Air France said it would temporarily suspend its service to Dubai.
Meanwhile, Dutch airline KLM has halted flights that would require it to enter the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and other countries in the region.
The sudden disruption to flights comes amid concerns that the US might use military force against Iran. This has fueled fears that the superpower could be drawn into a conflict with Tehran, potentially stemming from the recent violent crackdown on protests against the Ali Khamenei regime in the Islamic Republic.
US President Donald Trump has said that a US “armada” is heading towards Iran, despite earlier indications downplaying the likelihood of military action.
The White House confirmed last week that Tehran had halted the killing of protesters, but this appears to have had no effect on US military preparations.
In his latest warning to Tehran, he claimed the deployment was purely precautionary.
“We have a lot of ships going over there, just in case… We have a very powerful force heading towards Iran, and hopefully we won’t have to use it,” the president told reporters.
The US fleet heading towards the Gulf includes the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and guided-missile destroyers and is expected to arrive in the Arabian Sea or Persian Gulf region soon.
Impact on air travel
Air France and El Al have canceled all flights to Tel Aviv and other key hubs in the Gulf region, while Lufthansa is only allowing daytime operations to Israel.
“Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the company has decided to temporarily suspend its service to Dubai,” said Air France, the French national airline.
In a statement to news agency AFP, it said it was monitoring the evolving geopolitical situation to ensure the safety and security of its flights.
Meanwhile, KLM has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai, Dammam, and Riyadh and said it would avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Israel, and several Gulf countries.
Speaking to public broadcaster NOS, they said they were in contact with Dutch authorities.
The Lufthansa Group has limited its flights to daytime operations only and continues to avoid Iranian airspace. In addition, United Airlines and Air Canada have also canceled flights to Tel Aviv.
The flight disruptions come as aviation groups have warned of missile and drone threats to civil aviation in the region.
Last week, Iran closed its airspace for more than four hours due to fears of US military action, affecting flights from around the world.
