Airspace across Iran, Iraq, Israel and Jordan was plunged into chaos on Friday morning after Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran.
Israel launched a missile attack on Iran early Friday, prompting a scramble to divert dozens of flights and alter scheduled services in an effort to keep passengers safe.
Air India, Qatar Airways and Emirates were among the airlines which had to divert flights due to the escalating conflict, with thousands of passengers landing in unexpected destinations.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport is closed until further notice.
If you are travelling in the region or have a trip planned, here is the latest updates and advice from authorities.
Flights halted to Israel airport and Iranian airspace closed
Israel’s flag carrier El Al Airlines has suspended flights to and from Israel and has said it is moving some of its planes out of the country.
Israeli airline Israir is also evacuating its fleet from Tel Aviv’s airport, which it said was expected to remain out of operation over the weekend.
Many international airlines have already halted services to and from the airport after a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on 4 May landed nearby.
Iran, Iraq and Jordan have closed their airspace until further notice, according to local media and pilot updates.
Flights over Iran diverted and rerouted
Flights which were in Iranian airspace when news of the strikes hit were diverted or returned to their point of departure.
“Traffic is now diverting either south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, or north via Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan,” according to Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information.
More than 10 international flights that were forced to change their routes landed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Among these flights were those operated by leading airlines such as AJet, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Etihad Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
32 flights were diverted to Cyprus, with 23 landing in Larnaca and 9 in Paphos. Passengers diverted to Pafos will be offered hotel rooms, local media said.
Lufthansa has suspended flights to Tehran and said it would avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace for the time being.
Low-cost carrier flydubai said it had suspended flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran and Israel and a number of other flights had been cancelled, rerouted or returned to their departure airports.
