Flights between Western Europe and the Middle East have been severely disrupted after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
The “major combat operation” confirmed by Donald Trump on Saturday morning has had a major impact on flights in the region, as Iran and Iraq’s airspaces were closed due to the escalating action.
With missiles being launched from Israel against Iran, and retaliatory strikes from Iran, flights that would normally cross those countries are being forced to divert.
A video from the flight tracking service Flightradar24 shows the overnight stream of aircraft from the Gulf crossing northeast Iraq. But from around 6 am GMT, the pattern ends with aircraft instead flying west over Saudi Arabia.
Wizz Air said it was suspending all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until 7 March as a result of the strikes.
A spokesperson for the Hungarian budget airline said: “The airline is closely monitoring developments and remains in ongoing contact with local and international authorities, aviation safety agencies, security authorities, and relevant governmental bodies.
“We acknowledge the disruption this may cause and appreciate the understanding of our customers. Passengers with affected bookings will be contacted directly with information regarding their options.”
Many other airlines have grounded operations to and from Tel Aviv, including Delta, United, Air France, KLM, Aegean and FlyDubai.
An overnight British Airways flight from London Heathrow to the Qatari capital, Doha, turned around and flew back to its starting place last night. BA123 had taken off normally from Heathrow just before 8 pm for the expected six-hour flight to Doha.
Around 100 minutes into the journey, shortly after the aircraft had crossed from Austrian into Slovenian airspace, the Boeing 787 turned around and flew back to London, where it landed at 11.15 pm. The intended return service, BA122 from Doha to Heathrow, was cancelled.
The Independent is seeking more information from British Airways.
Until around 6am GMT on Saturday, some planes were flying over Iran, mainly on north-south routes serving Dubai and other hubs. Such flights have now ended. The extended flight paths and inevitable air traffic control congestion will cause disruption until the airspace reopens.
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