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UAE airlines suspend, cancel flights to 17 destinations after countries close airspaces
Operations to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Israel and Syria have been impacted after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities
- PUBLISHED: Fri 13 Jun 2025, 7:46 AM UPDATED: Fri 13 Jun 2025, 5:57 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict.]
UAE airlines have suspended flights to four destinations — Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran — on Friday in the wake of rising tensions between Israel and Iran. The carriers also announced flight cancellations to as many as five other destinations across the Middle East and Caucasian regions after several countries closed their airspaces.
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Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, marking one of the most dramatic escalations in the two countries' long-standing shadow war. Codenamed 'Rising Lion', the offensive targeted high-value sites including missile factories and nuclear facilities. The strikes left top Iranian military leaders dead, with Iran vowing a 'harsh' response.
The Dubai International Airport (DXB) website listed dozens of departures and arrivals as cancelled on Friday. Most of the cancellations include flights heading to or arriving from countries like Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. Multiple flydubai, Emirates and Etihad flights to Iranian cities such as Tehran, Shiraz, Lar, Kish Island, and Bandar Abbas were also cancelled. Flights from these cities to Dubai were also not operating.
Similarly, flights to and from Baghdad and Basra in Iraq were cancelled. The same was seen with flights to Amman in Jordan and Beirut in Lebanon, where services by flydubai were either cancelled or not listed for the day.
Dubai airport authorities further announced some flights at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International stand cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
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The authorities said they are working to manage the disruption and support affected guests. Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for latest updates and rebooking options before heading to the airport. “Our teams are on hand to assist impacted guests,” they added.
List of affected flights
Etihad
Etihad, in a statement on Tuesday, June 17, said that it continues to experience disruption to several services due to airspace closures and the ongoing regional situation.
Cancelled
Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Amman, Jordan (AMM) until June 20.
Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) until June 22.
Guests transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin. Impacted guests are being assisted with alternative travel arrangements, the airline said.
Emirates
Due to the current situation, the following Emirates flights to/from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran are cancelled:
June 13
EK945/EK946 from Dubai to Basra to Dubai
EK943/EK944 from Dubai to Baghdad to Dubai
EK979/EK978 from Dubai to Tehran to Dubai
EK980 from Tehran to Dubai
EK903/EK904 from Dubai to Amman to Dubai
EK905/EK906 from Dubai to Amman to Dubai
EK957/EK958 from Dubai to Beirut to Dubai
EK953/EK954 from Dubai to Beirut to Dubai
June 14
EK977/EK978 from Dubai to Tehran to Dubai
EK977/EK978 from Dubai to Tehran to Dubai
EK979/EK980 from Dubai to Tehran to Dubai
EK945/EK946 from Dubai to Basra to Dubai
EK941/EK942 from Dubai to Baghdad to Dubai
Flydubai
Due to the ongoing situation in the region, flydubai flights to Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are cancelled on June 15 and 16, the spokesperson of the Dubai-based carrier confirmed to Khaleej Times on Saturday.
“We have reinstated some flights across the network to destinations that were impacted, and these flights are subject to rerouting to avoid the affected airspace,” the flydubai spokesperson added.
Airline customers are advised to contact the flydubai contact centre in Dubai at (+971) 600 54 44 45; to visit the flydubai travel shop, or reach out to their respective travel agent for rebooking or refund options.
On Friday, flydubai had said that due to the temporary closure of airspace over Iran and Israel in the early hours of June 13, some flydubai flights were impacted.
In total, the airline announced the cancellation of its June 13 and 14 flights to 17 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and adjusting our flight schedule accordingly. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our passengers. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority," the Dubai-based carrier said in a travel update.
Previously, it has announced the suspension of its flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran and Israel as a result of the ongoing escalation.
Air Arabia
Air Arabia has extended temporary flight suspensions to several destinations until June 30 due airspace closures brought about by the continuing Israel-Iran conflict.
Flight to Iran, Iraq, Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan are cancelled until June 30; while flights to Jordan are suspended only until Friday, June 20.
“Passengers connecting through Sharjah or Abu Dhabi with final destinations in any of the above flights will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further update,” Air Arabia noted, adding several other flights have been experiencing delays or rerouting as well.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.
