Air travel disruption from Israel’s June 13 airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military facilities–known as Operation Rising Lion–has continued across the Middle East region. While Jordan and other neighboring states are opening their skies again, Israel’s airspace remains severely restricted, exacerbating travel chaos for passengers as well as airlines alike.
On June 13, following Israeli strikes that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military personnel, numerous Middle Eastern countries quickly closed their airspaces, including Israel which closed Ben Gurion International Airport and suspended civilian flights for indefinite. Other news sites reported on these incidents: couriermail.com.au +15
CBSnews.com +15
Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon also implemented temporary restrictions for Israel imposed by temporary restrictions from these five nations: (TheNationalNews.com +5 Cntraveler +5 TimesofIsrael.com =5).
According to Reuters, 1,800 flights between Israel and Europe were affected, including approximately 650 cancellations (timesofisrael.com/1768; reuters/com/1768 and cntraveler/com/1870).
Emirates, Qatar Airways, Flydubai and Air Arabia all suspended or rerouted flights between Iraq, Iran and Jordan until at least June 15 for security concerns, according to Al Jazeera and CnTraveler respectively.
United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa Airlines, Air France Airlines and Air India were among those that suspended or cancelled flights bound for Israel due to safety concerns; these airlines include United, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa Airlines, Air France Airlines and Air India (see Timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Euronews.com & YeahThatSkosher for examples of such actions taken against Israeli flights ).
United turned back Flight UAL 84 midair and cancelled New York-bound Flight UAL 90 as per businessinsider.com
Delta has suspended Tel Aviv service until September as per their schedule… Jordan Reopens Civilian Skies
Jordan announced on June 13 that they will reopen their airspace on June 14 at 7:30 am (0530 GMT). For more information visit jpost.com +7 and timesofisrael com +7 or english.alarabiya net +7
Lebanese and Syrian authorities followed suit, lifting restrictions to permit civilian flights to resume from Lebanon and Syria (nypost.com/nationalnews/15/84830817) (jpost/jpost/11/8480321).
Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority stressed their vigilance and pledged to inform airlines of any relevant developments as soon as they arise.
Ben Gurion Airport Remains Grounded
Although other skies in Israel have opened again, Israel’s own skies remain closed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv due to security threats; civilian aircraft remain idle while airliners evacuate their fleets en masse – El Al and Arkia both are moving planes out of Israel (source reuters.com).
This shutdown is expected to last as long as regional tensions remain elevated.
Passenger Disruption and Cost Implications
Airspace closures have left passengers stranded, leading to rerouted flights and cancelled reservations, which has caused travel chaos. Carriers face skyrocketing fuel costs as long detours around hostile airspace incur additional fuel consumption, which industry outlets report. Some passengers onboard diverted flights have reported disruptions for days; airlines scrambling to rebook or reroute flights have had to make adjustments quickly in response.
Investors are also taking notice: the turmoil in the Middle East has seen oil prices soar while also disrupting global shipping and travel industries.
Regional officials and airlines remain cautiously hopeful. Jordan’s decision to reopen, Syria’s and Lebanon’s actions and Israel’s ongoing airspace suspension all indicate confidence that the worst is over; yet continued security risks exist with both Iran and Israel threatening further strikes against each other.