Airlines Scramble to Reroute Flights Following Iran Missile Attack

Early reports on Tuesday of an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel have prompted many airlines to reroute flights around one of the world’s most congested sectors of airspace.

According to flight tracking platform FlightRadar24, both Jordanian and Iraqi airspaces are among those closed in the region. Flights currently airborne between Europe and the Middle East have either returned to their origins or diverted.

Airspace at 18:30 UTC, 1 Oct 2024. pic.twitter.com/INjMfV6kW6

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 1, 2024

Lufthansa flights to Mumbai and Hyderabad, India, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, turned back to Frankfurt, Germany. Swiss’ flight between Zurich and Dubai diverted to Antalya, Turkey.

British Airways flight 107 from London Heathrow to Dubai diverted to Larnaca, Cyprus, on Tuesday evening. Multiple Emirates flights en route to the carrier’s Dubai hub were also impacted per flight tracking data.

“Following tonight’s airspace closures, Emirates has cancelled some flights and diverted others. We are closely monitoring the situation and are making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to customers, while assisting those impacted,” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement. “Emirates advises customers departing or arriving at Dubai International Airport to check their flight status on emirates.com for the latest information regarding their flights.”

Arrivals and departures from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in Israel were halted following the attack.

The news comes just hours after several European airlines — including Lufthansa and KLM — extended flight suspensions to Tel Aviv; Beirut, Lebanon; and Tehran until at least the end of October.

Editor’s Note: This story is developing.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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