DUBAI: Global airlines have suspended or reduced flights in the Middle East after Iran launched a missile attack on a US military base in Qatar in retaliation to an American attack on three nuclear facilities at the weekend.
Iran launched missile attacks on a US military base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation for the American bombing of its three nuclear facilities amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, The Associated Press reported.
Qatar’s Defence Ministry said its air defence had successfully intercepted the missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base, which resulted in no deaths or injuries.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, in a statement on X, said, “We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
“We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law,” the spokesman said.
The United States carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites overnight Saturday to Sunday after over a week of deadly missile exchanges between Israel and Iran.
European airlines
British Airways cancelled flights between London’s Heathrow Airport and Dubai and Doha on Sunday following the US strikes on Iran.
The airline said Monday it was scheduled to operate those routes as normal, though there were some cancellations ahead of a clutch of evening flights.
Air France halted flights to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates until at least Tuesday inclusive, the airline said.
It also extended the suspension of the Paris-Tel Aviv route until July 14.
Flights of Air France’s low-cost carrier Transavia from Paris to Beirut have been suspended until June 30 while the Tel Aviv route is closed until September 7.
Germany’s Lufthansa group, whose other airlines include Swiss, Austrian and ITA, has suspended flights to the Middle East until June 30.
The Amman and Erbil, Iraq, routes were also suspended until July 11.
The group will not fly to Tel Aviv and Tehran will until July 31 and is also avoiding the air space of countries involved in the conflict.
Greece’s Aegean Airlines has stopped Tel Aviv flights until July 12. Its Amman, Beirut and Erbil routes are closed until June 28.
Turkish airline Pegasus has scrapped flights to Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon until June 30, and Iran until July 30.
Flag carrier Turkish Airlines on Monday cancelled its remaining flights for the day to Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Muscat.
No Turkish Airlines flights to Baghdad, Damascus and Tehran are available before July 1.
Finnair meanwhile confirmed it was suspending flights to Doha. The carrier is also staying out of the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel.
US and Canadian airlines
United Airlines has warned passengers that flights to and from Dubai scheduled between June 18 and July 3 may be affected and is offering no-fee ticket changes under certain conditions due to Middle East unrest.
The US airline has implemented the same flexibility for Tel Aviv flights between June 13 and August 1, allowing customers to rebook for other major European cities.
Air Canada has temporarily suspended its daily non-stop service from Toronto to Dubai starting June 18 and warned the suspension could be extended.
Travel via a European stopover on a partner airline remains possible, according to its website.
American Airlines is allowing customers to change their bookings to Doha without fees for travel originally scheduled between June 19 and July 20.
Asian airlines
Singapore Airlines has cancelled eight flights to Dubai — two per day from Sunday through Wednesday.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Monday announced a temporary suspension of flights to several Gulf nations.
According to a statement issued by the airline’s spokesperson, flights from Pakistan to Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Dubai have been cancelled.
