Iran war continues to paralyse air travel across Middle East
Qatar Airways and other Middle Eastern carriers suspended flights on Saturday due to widespread air traffic disruptions caused by the war in Iran.
The airline said on X that it hopes to resume flights to destinations in Europe and Bangkok on Sunday.
In the morning, the Qatari Ministry of Defence said a missile aimed at the country’s territory had been intercepted.
The airspace over Bahrain is also closed, the country’s international airport announced on social media.
Iraq’s civil aviation authority said that the closure of the country’s airspace would be extended until mid-Tuesday.
This is a precautionary measure due to the security situation and current developments in the region, it said.
Air traffic in Dubai was also temporarily suspended for security reasons on Saturday, according to Dubai International Airport.
The Emirates airline announced on X that some flights had resumed in the morning.
Dubai authorities said earlier that there had been a “minor incident” caused by falling debris after an interception. But the statement issued by the Dubai Media Office denied reports circulating on social media of any assault on Dubai International Airport.
Amid the escalating war, tens of thousands of people who were on holiday in the Middle East or wanted to use one of the airports there as a hub have been stranded since last weekend.
Many countries in the region temporarily ordered a complete shut down of their airspace following the start of the Israeli-US attacks on Iran on February 28.
