Airlines extend flight suspensions as U.S., Israel joint operation continues

Airlines continued to suspended flights to the Middle East as the joint operation by United States and Israel continues in Iran with multiple sites in that country being targeted. In one of those operations on Feb. 28, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, along with a number of senior Iranian leaders.

Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, as well as Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and other countries.

Israel Ministry of Tourism Update

The Israel Ministry of Tourism said that, under the directive of Minister of Tourism Haim Katz, it “is operating in emergency mode, providing accommodation to residents evacuated from their homes and assisting tourists currently staying in Israel with departing from the country,” following the launch of Operation “Roaring Lion.”

In a statement, the Ministry said that: “As of this morning (Sunday), approximately 37,400 tourists are in Israel. Since the beginning of the operation, approximately 700 tourists have left the country.”

And it continued: “The Ministry of Tourism is prepared to assist tourists who wish to depart Israel by arranging transportation to the land border crossings and is maintaining continuous contact with the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association, which is coordinating the groups staying in Israel.”

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Flights Suspended

Air Canada

Air Canada has now advised that “due to the military situation in the Middle East, we have cancelled flights from Canada to Israel until March 8 and to Dubai until March 3. We are monitoring the situation and will adjust our schedule accordingly. Customers can go to http://aircanada.com for updates.

And the airline also advises that because of the current situation in the Middle East, it has implemented a policy that makes it possible for passengers to make voluntary changes to their itinerary if:

• They purchased an Air Canada ticket no later than Feb. 28, 2026, for travel to, from or through Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH), Tel Aviv (TLV), Beirut (BEY), Amman (AMM), Erbil (EBL) and Dammam (DMM) between now and March 15, 2026.

Air Canada said that passengers scheduled to travel during the affected period, “can retrieve your booking to change your flight, free of charge, to another date between now and March 31, 2026, subject to availability in the cabin you originally purchased. Outside of those dates, any fare difference will apply.”

Emirates

Emirates said that due to multiple regional airspace closures, it has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 1500hrs UAE time on Tuesday, March 3.

And the carrier notes that the situation remains dynamic and is assessed continuously and it urges all customers to review the latest operational updates on http://emirates.com and check their email for any notifications about changes or cancellations to their flights before travelling to the airport.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.

A further update will be provided on March 3 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). Go to http://qatarairways.com

Saudia

Saudia said that due to the evolving situation in the region and airspace closures, flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow and Peshawar have been cancelled. These cancellations are effective until March 2 March at 23:59 GMT.

Lufthansa

Due to the current situation in the Middle East, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8.

The following airspaces will also not be used until March 8: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, and Iran.

In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi until March 4. Furthermore, the airspace of the United Arab Emirates will not be used until March 4.

https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/flight-information

Air France

The carrier said that due to the security situation locally, the airline has decided to cancel its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beyruth, Dubai and Ryiadh from February 28, 2026 to March 3, 2026.

Air France will provide further updates regarding its flight schedule to these destinations for the following days at a later time and reminds that the safety of its customers and crews is its utmost priority.

This is a developing story, so make sure to check www.traveplress.com for updates.