By Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways canceled two flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and delayed four others early Friday as escalating military tensions between Israel and Iran disrupted air travel across the region.
The UAE’s national carrier cited “operational disruptions” as multiple airlines scrambled to reroute, delay, or suspend services in response to Israeli airstrikes on Iran overnight, an offensive that Israeli officials described as the start of a broader campaign targeting nuclear sites, missile factories, and military leaders in the Islamic Republic.
flydubai also announced the suspension of flights to five destinations: Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran, and Israel. Several other flydubai routes were rerouted or forced to return mid-air as safety precautions intensified.
The widespread disruption followed a dramatic shift in the regional security environment. Data from flight tracker Flightradar24 showed a mass exodus of commercial aircraft from the airspace over Israel, Iran, and Iraq after the Israeli operation began in the early hours of Friday morning.
Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was shut down until further notice, and Iran declared its airspace closed, while Iraq temporarily suspended operations at all of its airports.
An Emirates flight from Manchester diverted to Istanbul, while a flydubai jet from Belgrade rerouted to Yerevan, Armenia.
The latest hostilities follow months of heightened instability sparked by the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began its latest phase in October 2023. Commercial pilots have reported witnessing missile activity during flights, with some describing the proximity of drone interceptions as “visible from the cockpit.”
Source: Gulf News
