Air Travel Chaos: Flights Cancelled After Iran Strikes
Air travel chaos erupts as Middle East flights are suspended after deadly Iran strikes. Governments issue urgent travel warnings and evacuations.
Airlines serving the Middle East canceled and diverted flights on Saturday after the US and Israel launched deadly attacks on Iran, including its capital, Tehran.
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Wizz Air were among the airlines that reduced their schedules to Middle East destinations, citing safety concerns.
Iran retaliated with several attacks, including on Israel and four Gulf Arab countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE – where US military bases are located.
The UK Foreign Office urged British citizens in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to evacuate immediately following the blasts.
US President Donald Trump cited Iran's failure to reach an agreement to limit its nuclear program and regime change as reasons for the attacks.
Both Iranian and Israeli airspace was closed on Saturday, and flight tracking showed that international air traffic was avoiding the area.
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All flights to and from Dubai International and Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport were suspended on Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday evening, Dubai International's media office said the airport suffered "minor damage in an incident" and four staff members were injured.
Qatar Airways confirmed the temporary suspension of its flights to and from the capital, Doha, due to the closure of Qatari airspace, later stating that operations would resume at 19:00 (16:00 GMT) Doha time on Sunday.
British Airways has cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday.
Virgin Atlantic has cancelled flights from Heathrow to Dubai and warned that its flights to India, Saudi Arabia, and the Maldives may experience extended delays due to rerouting.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until next Saturday.
Heathrow, the UK's busiest airport, has urged passengers to check with their airline for updates.
Passengers on an 8:00 pm flight to Doha on Friday were turned back at Heathrow mid-flight, but this was due to a technical problem with the aircraft and was unrelated to the military action.
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Sarah Short was supposed to return to Heathrow on Saturday after a holiday in Dubai.
"We boarded the plane and were just about to taxi when the pilot said: 'We have some bad news - we're not going anywhere'." "Then we sat on the plane on the tarmac for over three hours."
She added: "There are no flights, everything is suspended. BA said they couldn't do anything," she said.
"It's all so volatile, you never know what's going to happen."
The Foreign Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice, warning against all travel to Israel and Palestine.
The UK Foreign Office has urged British citizens living in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates to immediately evacuate, while those in Saudi Arabia have been told to "stay indoors in a safe place."
UK citizens living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey, and Oman have also been told to "remain vigilant" and evacuate if advised to do so.
The FCDO said that British citizens living in Bahrain, Israel, Palestine, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates can register their presence to receive direct updates on the situation.
John Henry, 71, from Northampton, who is holidaying in Qatar with his family, was in a shopping center when he received the air raid alert.
"We heard a small explosion and felt a vibration, and we saw many people rushing out of the shopping center."
Qatar's Defense Ministry said it had intercepted Iranian missiles.
"You could see vapor trails where they hit," Henry said. "We heard four or five more explosions where something must have happened."
The UAE also said it had intercepted Iranian missiles, while footage shows the moment a US facility in Bahrain was attacked.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer chaired a Cobra meeting on the attacks earlier on Saturday.
A government spokesperson said: "Our immediate priority is the safety of UK citizens in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance."
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