As tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, major international airlines are scrambling to respond to a growing crisis that has swaths of travelers stuck in the region. Widespread flight cancellations and paused operations have air travel, particularly in Israel and Dubai, at a standstill. Qatar closed its airspace on Monday after an Iranian attack on the Gulf nation, and, with a tenuous ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump still in flux, tens of thousands of travelers remain stuck in Israel.
Travel disruptions are the latest curveball in a year that has been difficult to the airline industry, coming after several safety incidents, including two deadly plane crashes, first in Washington D.C. and most recently in India. The industry has also suffered amid budget constraints on travelers who are reducing spending in the face of rising economic uncertainty.
Now, U.S. strikes on Iran and continued fighting have prompted the onslaught of canceled flights in Israel, Iran, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates which neighbor Iran on the Persian Gulf. The recent influx of delayed and cancelled flights pose an additional economic burden on companies facing slowing demand. According to air tracking data from FlightAware, more than 493 flights were cancelled worldwide on Tuesday, following 834 cancellations on Monday. At the peak of fighting between the countries, at least 40,000 tourists were stranded in the region.
Pausing service to conflict zones, aviation industry expert John Mowry of Alton Aviation tells Fortune, is part of an airline’s potential strategy for managing and assessing risk to minimize any danger to passengers.
“The playbook includes pausing operations in some instances, as we’re seeing now. In some instances, where the temperatures are too hot and aircraft are airborne, they will obviously reroute and divert to different stations to avoid any contested airspace,” he says.
For Mowry, cancelling flights and erring on the side of caution is integral to the aviation industry’s prioritization of passenger safety and experience navigating crises.
“No airline wants to be involved in any tragic incidents, and no passengers do either,” he adds. “And I think passengers come to understand that some of these circumstances are outside the control of the airlines that are trying to operate in these regions.”
Several European airlines, including Air France, KLM, Air Europa, British Airways, ITA Airways, and airBaltic have canceled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until at least the end of June, with some extending these cancellations into August and September. Air France also suspended its flights to and from Riyadh and Dubai.
German airline Lufthansa suspended its service in several countries, cancelling all flights to and from Beirut until June 30, Tel Aviv and Tehran until July 31, and Amman and Erbil, Iraq until July 11. Lufsansa also said it would avoid flying through the airspace of the involved countries until further notice.
As for American airlines, both United and Delta have paused operations in key regional hubs. A spokesperson for United told Fortune that the company’s flights to and from Tel Aviv are paused through July 31, and its daily flight between Newark and Dubai have also been halted as they continue to comintor the developing situation. Delta has paused its flights to and from Tel Aviv until the end of August.
Against this backdrop, Israeli airline El Al announced on Tuesday that the company would be stepping in to assist with evacuations due to widespread cancellations. The company reportedly plans to expand flights on Wednesday to return travelers home by lifting flight restrictions and the re-opening of the two of the country’s main airports. Other Israeli airlines are also offering rescue flights.
With American travelers stuck in Israel, the U.S. Department of State has begun assisting evacuations of citizens from the country. On June 21, two flights carrying U.S. citizens departed Tel Aviv for Athens, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced. Currently, the State Department has both Israel and Iran at a Level 4, or “do not travel,” travel advisory.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the agency has since provided support and information to over 27,000 people. “The number of U.S. citizens seeking departure assistance is evolving, but currently a few thousand individuals have registered interest. Many have also departed independently,” she said in a briefing Tuesday.
Meanwhile, rather than relying on the federal government, the state of Florida has partnered with Gray Bull Rescue to bring Americans home from Israel. On Tuesday, a flight from Israel with more than 150 citizens landed at Tampa International Airport. At least five such rescue flights have landed at the Florida airstrip with more than 2,000 Americans onboard. The evacuation efforts are said to be costing approximately $30 million, and at least 5,000 Americans have indicated to the Florida program they wish to return to the U.S., according to Fox 13 News.
