Tel Aviv: Iran’s first direct attack from its soil on Israel over the weekend has complicated flights in one of the most densely traversed regions of the world, forcing airlines to choose lengthy detours from cities like London or Paris to destinations in the Persian Gulf or India.
Several Middle Eastern countries including Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon temporarily closed their airspace over the weekend as Iran launched drones and missiles. Both Israel and Iran also imposed restrictions on airline traffic, requiring airlines to rerout, thereby extending flight times and adding to fuel costs.
European airlines were taking a variety of approaches, with EasyJet Plc pausing operations to and from Israel’s Tel Aviv, while British Airways Plc is still operating flights to Israel and Jordan. The carrier faced disruption over the weekend when a flight en route to Jordan was forced to turn around because of the airspace closures.
Other carriers that have circumnavigated the region or stopped service to places like Israel and Jordan include Qantas Airways Ltd., Singapore Airlines Ltd., Air France and Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
Air France said that it plans to restart flights to Beirut and to Tel Aviv, following the reopening of Israeli and Lebanese airspace. However, it said journeys to destinations such as Dubai, India and Singapore would see flight times increase by as much as 45 minutes due to changes to the flight schedule. Dutch partner KLM said it had canceled flights to Tel Aviv on Monday.
Qatar Airways and Emirates resumed some suspended Middle Eastern services as airspaces reopened.
Earlier in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, airlines faced scores of disruptions primarily centered on Tel Aviv, cancelling flights into or out of the country.
