International flights across many countries in the Middle East have been disrupted following Israeli-American missile strikes on Iran and retaliatory hits in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The United Arab Emirates closed their airspace.
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the temporary and partial closure of the UAE’s airspace as an exceptional precautionary measure, aimed at ensuring the safety of flights and aircrews and safeguarding the territory of the UAE, amid rapidly escalating security developments in the region
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Dubai Airports confirmed that several Emirates flights to destinations in the region, including Jordan and Lebanon, were cancelled with the disruptions coming directly in the wake of airspace restrictions announced by authorities across the Gulf following strikes targeting Iran.
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Qatar affected
Qatar Airways has grounded all its flights in a dramatic development that sent shockwaves through global aviation on Saturday, after Qatari airspace was abruptly closed amid escalating regional tensions in the Middle East.
The airline deployed additional ground staff at Hamad International Airport and other key airports around the world to assist affected passengers, while also warning travellers to expect delays to flight schedules once usual operations resume
The scale of the disruption is enormous.
Qatar Airways operates more than 170 weekly flights to 29 cities across 21 African countries alone making the suspension one of the most far-reaching aviation interruptions the continent has experienced in recent years.
Thousands of passengers mid-journey or due to travel through Hamad International Airport in Doha face significant disruption.
