European airlines halt Middle East flights as US-Iran tensions escalate

Air France-KLM has suspended flights to and over several Middle Eastern destinations as rising tensions between the US and Iran raise concerns about broader instability across the Persian Gulf, as per Bloomberg.

Air France said it cancelled flights between Paris and Dubai on January 23 and 24, temporarily halting service to the emirate “due to the current situation in the Middle East,” according to a company statement.

Its Dutch subsidiary, KLM, has also stopped flights to Dubai, as well as to the Saudi cities of Riyadh and Dammam, and to Tel Aviv, with the suspensions in place until further notice. As a precautionary measure, KLM is currently avoiding airspace over multiple Gulf countries, in addition to Iran, Iraq, and Israel, the airline said separately.

The flight disruptions underscore how quickly geopolitical tensions can affect civilian aviation. The moves follow remarks by President Donald Trump that the US has deployed naval assets to the Middle East, reigniting concerns that Washington could carry out threats of military action against Iran in response to Tehran’s violent suppression of protests.

Earlier in January, British Airways also temporarily suspended flights to Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

The latest cancellations echo similar disruptions in June, when several European and American airlines halted operations to Gulf destinations after Iran launched missiles at a military base in Qatar. Those strikes prompted Qatar and neighbouring countries to close their airspace, causing widespread disruption to international air travel.

By Tamilla Hasanova