MIDDLE EAST: Major disruptions due to Israel/Iran conflict

Air travel across the Middle East is facing major disruptions. Flights are being suspended, cancelled, delayed or rerouted to avoid the area. El Al has suspended all flight operations until 30 June, 2025.

As shown on the Flightradar24 tweet below, the airspace above Iran and Israel is being cleared of all commercial flights. Airspace over nearby Iran, Jordan and Syria has also been cleared.

9-second video of the clearing of Iranian and Iraqi airspace. pic.twitter.com/VZLWbmk9sC

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 13, 2025

Affected flights

On Friday, roughly 1,800 flights terminating in or arriving from Europe were affected. Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, estimates that 650 flights were cancelled.

Russian and Ukrainian airspace are already closed to most commercial operations to the armed conflict. This made the Middle East a vital route for international flights operating between Europe and Asia.

So far, there have been no substantive disruptions to the Emirates hub of Dubai Airport or to the Qatar Airways hub of Hamad International Airport in Doha. However, minor delays are being reported.

Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline has cancelled flights to and from Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.

Qatar Airways, has temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq.

Anyone travelling to Europe from Australia on a Middle East airline, particularly Qantas customers travelling on Emirates, and Virgin Australia patrons travelling on Qatar, should monitor their flights in case there are any delays or cancellations.

El Al

The Israeli-based airline suspended all flights as of the evening of Friday, June 13. It has advised all customers scheduled to depart on the weekend (June 14 & 15) not to come to the airport and to wait to be contacted.

Further, it has cancelled all scheduled flights through 30 June 2025 until further notice. El Al has also evacuated all its aircraft out of Israel.

Expect other carriers flights to Israeli destinations to also be cancelled.

According to the Times of Israel, Ben Gurion Airport has been closed to all arrivals and departures until further notice. It is expected to remain closed for at least the next three or four days.

2PAXfly Takeout

The Middle East conflict will have a dramatic effect on air traffic around that area for as long as it lasts.

I’m heading between Asia and Europe in the next week or two, so I have a personal interest in the situation.

I don’t know what you think, but it seems that the world is becoming increasingly dangerous. Let’s hope that cooler heads prevail and that tensions cool. That may be wishful thinking.