Thursday, October 3, 2024 An Etihad flight from London Heathrow to the UAE was unexpectedly diverted to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia , amid widespread airspace closures in the Middle East. This disruption affected numerous flights across several airlines, including Wizz Air , which had several flights to Abu Dhabi redirected. Emirates flights bound for Dubai, originating from London Heathrow, Birmingham, and Dublin , were also diverted, adding to the growing list of impacted routes.
In total, more than 80 flights from 16 airlines were affected, facing diversions or cancellations as airspace across several key countries, including Israel, Iran, Jordan, Iraq , and others, were temporarily shut down. Some flights were forced to turn back to their departure points, while others landed at alternate airports in Europe. The situation caused significant disruption as overflying Iran is a usual route for flights departing from Europe to India and Southeast Asia .
With the closure of Iran’s airspace, airlines were forced to seek alternative routes, leading to further delays and diversions. As of now, Jordan and Iraq have reopened their airspace to flights, allowing some normalcy to return for air travel in the region. However, the airspace in Israel and Iran remains closed , causing continued challenges for airlines operating in and around the region.
The disruption has significantly impacted airline operations, with diverted flights causing cascading delays across Europe and the Middle East.