Flights cancelled as travel warnings issued after strikes on Iran
#Iran strikes #Flight cancellations #Travel warnings #US-Israel attack #Middle East tensions #Airspace closure #British Airways #Heathrow disruptions
📌 Key Takeaways
- Multiple airlines cancelled flights to Middle Eastern destinations following US-Israel strikes on Iran
- UK Foreign Office issued urgent travel warnings and shelter-in-place orders for British nationals across Gulf states
- Iranian airspace closed as international flights avoid the volatile region
- Prime Minister Starmer chaired emergency Cobra meeting to address the crisis
📖 Full Retelling
US and Israel launched deadly strikes on Iran targeting sites including Tehran on Saturday, prompting major airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air to cancel or divert flights to the Middle East due to safety concerns, while the UK Foreign Office urged British nationals in several Gulf states to shelter in place as explosions were reported across the region. British Airways cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday and to Amman in Jordan on Saturday, with more than 200 passengers on a flight to Doha forced to return to Heathrow after the plane was ordered to turn back mid-journey. Virgin Atlantic cancelled a Heathrow to Dubai flight and warned services to India, Saudi Arabia and the Maldives may face delays due to rerouting, while Wizz Air suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman up to and including next Saturday. Iranian airspace has been completely closed, with flight tracking showing international air traffic actively avoiding the volatile region. The UK Foreign Office specifically advised British nationals in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to immediately seek shelter after explosions were reported, while those in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Oman were told to 'remain vigilant' and take shelter if advised. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer chaired a Cobra meeting earlier on Saturday to address the developing situation, with a government spokesperson confirming that the immediate priority was the safety of UK nationals in the region.
🏷️ Themes
Middle East Conflict, Air Travel Disruption, International Security
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Original Source
Flights cancelled as travel warnings issued after strikes on Iran 2 hours ago Share Save Aleks Phillips Share Save Airlines serving the Middle East have cancelled or diverted flights after the US and Israel launched deadly strikes on Iran. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air are among carriers to pare back their schedules to destinations in the Middle East, citing safety concerns. Sites in Iran including in the capital, Tehran, have been targeted in the attacks on Saturday. Iran has been accused of launching retaliatory strikes on Israel and several other nations hosting US facilities in the region with civilian casualties. The UK Foreign Office has urged British nationals in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to immediately shelter in place following reports of explosions. Follow updates on this story What we know about the joint US-Israel attack on Iran US President Donald Trump cited a failure to reach an agreement to limit Iran's nuclear programme and regime change as among the reasons for launching the attack. Iranian airspace has been closed and flight tracking shows international air traffic avoiding the region. British Airways has cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday, and Amman in Jordan on Saturday. More than 200 passengers on the 20:00 flight to Doha on Friday returned to Heathrow after it was ordered to turn back a third of the way through the journey. Sarah Short was due to return from a holiday in Dubai to Heathrow on Saturday. "We got on the plane and were literally about to taxi when the pilot said: 'We have some bad news - we're not going anywhere'," she told the BBC. "We then sat on the plane on the tarmac for over three hours." She added: "There's no flights, everything's suspended. BA said there's nothing they can do," she said. "It's all so volatile, you just don't know what's going to happen next." Virgin Atlantic cancelled a Heathrow to Dubai flight and warned its flights to India, Saudi Arabia a...
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