Flight chaos after US strikes Iran: Here's why your journey might take longer
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has led to significant airline disruptions, with major carriers canceling flights.
Thousands of airline passengers are facing major travel disruptions after escalating conflict in the Middle East prompted several carriers to cancel flights. The chaos follows US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, leading airlines to suspend routes to the region and reroute others, causing widespread delays and cancellations.
Major airports and airlines face flight cancellations and delays
Singapore Airlines, Air France, and British Airways are among the major carriers that have canceled flights to key Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai and Doha following the US strikes on Iran.
The disruption affects two of the world's busiest airports—Dubai International, the top global hub for international traffic, and Qatar’s Hamad International, ranked 10th. Flight 109, which was on its way to Dubai when the strikes hit Iran, had to take a U-turn over Saudi Arabia and was then diverted to Zurich in a nine-hour flight, according to the data from Flightradar24.
Meanwhile, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada initiated the suspension of their scheduled flights to the region before Saturday’s attack took place, as reported by Business Insider.
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Why are flights taking longer than usual to reach destinations?
Even flights that haven’t been canceled are experiencing delays and longer routes, as airspace over Israel, Iran, and Iraq remains closed following Israel’s missile attack on Iran on June 13. Airlines are now forced to reroute around the restricted zones, with Flightradar24 data showing that some Air France flights are taking up to an hour longer by detouring over Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, Qatar Airways, which is still operating flights, wrote on X that the current situation “will require some schedule changes to strengthen the connectivity in Doha."
