Middle East Skies Reopen, EASA Still Warns Against Flying

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched strikes on Iranian military sites, prompting Iran, Iraq, and Jordan to close airspace, disrupting hundreds of flights.

Carriers have halted or suspended services to Israel, while major UAE airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai) canceled flights through the Middle East or rerouted flights over Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. There are also shifts to corridors over Afghanistan and the Caspian regions.

Shorter route options constrict traffic into narrower air corridors, leading to increased fuel costs, congestion, delays, crew timing constraints, and air-traffic control burdens.

• On June 14, Jordan reopened its skies for civilian flights.
• On June 24, Iraq lifted the airspace closure after the Iran-Israel ceasefire agreement.
• On June 16, Iran started intermittent reopenings. On July 4, Iran resumed international flights, ending a 21-day suspension.

Though an Iran-Israel ceasefire remains in place, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) discourages flying over high-risk zones, including Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.