Gulf airlines cancel flights after Israel strikes Iran

DUBAI (AFP): Airlines in the Gulf cancelled flights to many Middle East destinations on Friday as some governments closed their airspace following Israeli strikes on Iran.

Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline, said it had cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran after Israel launched the strikes.

Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline’s website.

Qatar Airways, the country’s national carrier and one of the Middle East’s largest, said it had “temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region”.

UAE airports warned of disruption, with Dubai posting on X that “some flights at @DXB and DWC – Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria”.

Abu Dhabi airport warned “flight disruptions are expected through today (Friday)” as a result of the Israeli strikes.

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority posted on X that “some flights at Kuwait International Airport have been diverted, cancelled and rescheduled.”

Earlier Friday, Jordan and Iraq, which both lie between Israel and Iran, announced they had closed their airspace and grounded all flights after Israel’s strikes.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted drones and missiles that had violated the kingdom’s airspace, after Iran vowed there would be “no limits” in its response to Israeli attacks.

Israel pounded Iran with a wave of strikes against military and nuclear industry targets that killed the armed forces’ chief of staff, the Revolutionary Guards chief and top nuclear scientists.

The Israeli military said Iran had launched about 100 drones in retaliation, which it was seeking to shoot down.