Several international airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa and the Netherlands’ KLM, have canceled flights to and from the Middle East due to rising tensions between the US and Iran. Major destinations such as Israel, Dubai and Riyadh are among those affected by the cancellation.
The flights were canceled as US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a US “army” was heading towards the Persian Gulf and that Washington was keeping a close eye on Iran.
Air France
Air France has announced that it will temporarily suspend operations to Dubai due to the geopolitical situation. “Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the company has decided to temporarily suspend its connection to Dubai,” the French national carrier said in a statement to AFP.
Dutch airline KLM
Meanwhile, Dutch airline KLM told Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Friday that it has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai, Dammam and Riyadh until further notice and will not fly over the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Israel and several Gulf countries.
The airline did not disclose the reason for the suspension and said it was in contact with Dutch authorities, according to NOS.
Lufthansa
The Lufthansa Group has limited its flights to daytime operations only and continues to avoid Iranian airspace, NDTV reported. In addition, United Airlines and Air Canada also canceled flights to Tel Aviv.
British Airways
Earlier this month, British Airways temporarily suspended flights to Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Several European and US aircraft carriers also suspended operations to Gulf countries in June before Iran fired missiles at a base in Qatar. The missile attacks have forced Qatar and surrounding countries to close their airspace and caused chaos for international airlines.
