Several countries in the Middle East have closed parts of their airspace as military clashes spread across the region, disrupting commercial aviation and forcing airlines to reroute flights.
On Saturday, Iraq’s Transportation Ministry announced that the country had closed its airspace following strikes by Israeli forces on targets inside Iran. A ministry spokesman confirmed the measure, citing security concerns after the attacks, and said all flights were suspended while authorities assess the situation.
In parallel developments, Israeli authorities closed their own airspace after a wave of attacks involving Iran and allied missiles. Multiple sources reporting live updates from the region stated that Israel declared its skies off limits to civilian aircraft amid the intensifying conflict.
Earlier on Saturday, Iran also imposed its own airspace restrictions, shutting its skies to most civilian traffic after coordinated strikes by Israeli and U.S. military forces against Iranian targets. This measure effectively blocked international commercial flights from using Iranian corridors between Europe and Asia.
Meanwhile, official NOTAMs have been issued for Qatar and Bahrain airspace closure. These measures have affected some inbound and outbound flights and caused airlines to adjust routing plans to avoid the affected sectors.
The closure of these key airspace sectors has forced airlines operating through the Gulf and wider Middle East to reroute flights, often via longer corridors to the south over Saudi Arabia or north over Central Asia to maintain safety and comply with notices to airmen (NOTAMs) issued by aviation authorities.
The impact on global flight operations has been significant, with delays and heavier air traffic over the remaining open corridors as carriers adjust to the restricted skies. Aviation experts note that continued uncertainty over access to Iraqi, Iranian and Israeli airspace will complicate scheduling and routing for major international services linking Europe, Asia, Africa and the America.
Menawhile Air India’s AI139 operating Delhi Tel Aviv is returning back to India amid the tensions in view of passenger and operational safety
