British Airways and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights After US Strikes in Iran

Air travel across the Middle East is facing widespread disruption after the United States struck three nuclear facilities in Iran, prompting British Airways (BA) and Singapore Airlines to cancel flights to Dubai, citing escalating security concerns.

More than 150 global carriers, including Air France KLM, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines, have either suspended or rerouted flights to avoid increasingly volatile conflict zones following the closure of airspace over Israel, Iraq, and Jordan.

• Airlines Respond to Geopolitical Crisis
  The situation intensified after Donald Trump authorized the US missile strikes on Iranian nuclear sites—a move that follows Israel’s earlier attack on Tehran and has significantly raised fears of Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region.

Analysts warn that this escalation presents further logistical and financial challenges to European airlines, which have already been avoiding Russian airspace due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, complicating eastbound routes.

“We had already taken measures such as rerouting, but this situation is more serious than last week,” said a source from a major European airline.

• Flight Suspensions and Reroutes
  One British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Dubai, which departed at 9:53 PM on Saturday, was forced to divert to Zurich after nearly nine hours in the air, according to Flightradar24.

On Sunday:

1. All BA flights to Dubai and Doha were suspended.
2. BA previously suspended flights to Bahrain until June 30.
3. Singapore Airlines canceled two roundtrip flights between Singapore and Dubai, citing a “security assessment of the geopolitical situation.”

American Airlines, United Airlines, Finnair, and KLM also halted services to Dubai, Doha, Dammam, and Riyadh over the weekend.

• Airspace Closures and Middle East Rerouting
  According to Flightradar24:

1. Over 3,000 flights have been canceled daily in the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war.
2. Airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Syria remains largely closed, with reroutes taking place over Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
3. Following the US strikes, commercial air traffic remained stable, operating within previously restricted routes.

Meanwhile, Israeli airspace was temporarily closed, but local carrier Arkia said it planned rescue flights once the airspace reopened at 2 PM.