Middle EastWar in Gaza

Diversions, disruptions: aviation grapples with Middle East escalation

Rising tensions in the Middle East have created air travel chaos, with global airlines diverting or cancelling flights on Wednesday and regional airports, including Lebanon, Israel and Kuwait, showing long delays, according to FlightRadar24 data.

Concern over travel disruption as the conflict intensifies also knocked shares in the travel and airline sectors on Wednesday morning.

Iran launched its largest missile attack against Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, triggering a threat from Israel of a “painful response”.

On Wednesday morning, a few flights were seen over Iranian airspace, according to a FlightRadar24 map, including from carrier flydubai, after Iran said its ballistic missile attack on Israel was over.

However, flights across the entire region were diverted or disrupted with little sign of broader normalisation.

Airlines suspend flights

AUSTRALIA

Its contingency plans could include evacuation by sea, though authorities have urged an estimated 15,000 citizens in Lebanon to leave while Beirut airport remains open.

BELGIUM

Belgium’s foreign ministry has advised citizens to leave as soon as possible, the Belga news agency said.

CANADA

News reports from Canada suggest it will co-operate with Australia in evacuating nationals by sea. The plan involves contracting a commercial vessel to ferry out 1,000 people a day, the Toronto Star newspaper said.

CYPRUS

The European Union member state closest to the Middle East is a likely hub for evacuations, having processed about 60,000 people fleeing the Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006. Neighbouring Turkey has offered facilities as well.

Cyprus has asked Greece to provide an aircraft that could be used to evacuate its nationals who wish to leave. There are an estimated 1,500 Cypriots in Lebanon.

FRANCE

France has not issued an evacuation order, despite having had plans for several months. Present contingency plans centre on Cyprus and Beirut airport, while it is also discussing evacuations via Turkey. France has a warship in the region, while a French helicopter carrier will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in the coming days and take up position in case a decision is taken to evacuate foreign nationals from Lebanon.

GERMANY

Germany has evacuated non-essential staff, families of embassy workers and German nationals who are medically vulnerable from Lebanon and will support others trying to leave, the foreign and defence ministries said in a joint statement on Monday.

GREECE

The Greek foreign ministry has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid any travel there, with a frigate on standby in case assistance is needed.

ITALY

Italy has cut diplomatic staff and beefed up security personnel at its Beirut embassy. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly urged nationals to leave the country and sought assurances from Israel over the safety of Italian peacekeepers in the area.

THE NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands will repatriate its citizens from Lebanon, Dutch news agency ANP said on Tuesday.

POLAND

Poland will limit staff numbers at its Beirut embassy, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that Warsaw would organise transport for citizens wanting to leave Lebanon.

PORTUGAL

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has advised against travel to Lebanon, which assisted in the evacuation of a small number of Portuguese citizens living there.

TURKEY

Turkey is ready for a possible evacuation of Turks from Lebanon via air and sea, and is working with about 20 countries to ready its ports and airports for a possible evacuation of foreign nationals via Turkey. About 14,000 Turkish citizens were registered at the consulate in Lebanon, but the number was not definitive.

UNITED KINGDOM

Britain has urged nationals to leave immediately. It has moved about 700 troops to Cyprus, bolstering its military assets, including two Royal Navy ships. It also has two military bases on the island. Britain has chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand from Britons wishing to leave on Wednesday, and will fly them directly back to London.

UNITED STATES

The United States has ordered dozens of troops deployed to Cyprus to help prepare for scenarios such as an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. It is working with airlines to add flights out of Lebanon, with more seats for Americans, the State Department said on Tuesday.

Carriers around the world have cancelled flights to Israel and Lebanon in the wake of the escalating conflict, with many saying they won’t resume until at least mid-October, depending on the security situation.

Both British Airways ICAG.L and Air France-KLM AIRF.PA said their flight cancellations to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport remained in place until at least early next week, including the Oct. 7 one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel.

AIRPORT IMPACT

Traffic over the Istanbul, Cairo and Antalya hubs remained dense as flights continued to avoid parts of Middle Eastern airspace.

Dubai International Airport reported 85% of its departing flights as delayed, while Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport had 60% of its flights cancelled, according to the airline tracker.

At Kuwait International Airport, 67% of arriving flights were delayed.

The latest disruptions are expected to deal a further blow to an industry already facing a host of restrictions due to conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and Russia and Ukraine.

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