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Singapore Airlines in Gulf flight freeze amid US-Iran escalation
British Airways also cancelled flights and diverted planes mid-journey after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites raise fears of retaliation
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Commercial airlines around the world on Monday were weighing how long to suspend Middle East flights after the United States struck three nuclear sites in Iran and Tehran vowed to retaliate.
Singapore Airlines, one of the highest-profile carriers in Asia, had called the situation “fluid” on Sunday as it cancelled flights from Singapore to Dubai following a security assessment.
The Middle East route has become more important for flights between Europe and Asia since Russian and Ukrainian airspace closed due to war, but flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed empty space over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel at the weekend.
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London-based British Airways also cancelled several flights to Dubai and diverted two planes bound for the emirate overnight on Saturday, according to data from Flightradar24.
One flight took off from Heathrow Airport on Saturday night and was diverted to Zurich after it reached Saudi Arabia’s airspace in the early hours of Sunday, according to the flight tracking site. Another Dubai-bound jet returned to Heathrow after going as far as Egypt.
The UK carrier also cancelled flights to Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Sunday and halted routes to Bahrain through the end of the month due to operational constraints and airspace restrictions. British Airways said it had adjusted its flight schedule as a result of recent events to ensure the safety of customers and crew.
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