Aviation across the Middle East has once again been disrupted after a brief but intense exchange of attacks between Iran and Israel prompted airspace restrictions, flight diversions and renewed safety measures across the region.
The latest escalation saw Iran launch dozens of ballistic missiles towards Israel, while Israel carried out airstrikes on targets inside Iran, forcing aviation authorities to reassess flight routes as missiles and military aircraft crossed some of the region's busiest air corridors.
Iraq, Syria and Iran all temporarily closed their airspace during the confrontation.
Despite initially announcing a 72-hour closure on Sunday, Iraq's Civil Aviation Authority said on Monday that it had reopened Iraqi airspace to flights arriving at and departing from all airports, while continuing to monitor developments.
At the time of publication, Syria's airspace remained closed.
Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that flight restrictions had been lifted and that the country's airspace had returned to normal operations. Qatar rejects closure claims Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on Sunday requiring flights to and from the country to use alternative routes.
The authority later sought to dispel reports circulating online that Qatar had closed its airspace in response to the fighting.
"The information being circulated on social media regarding the closure of the State of Qatar's airspace or the suspension of flight operations is inaccurate," it said in a statement on Monday. Airlines adjust operations Israel's Ben Gurion Airport remained operational throughout the escalation, although some airlines altered their schedules.
Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air announced it was cancelling all flights to Israel through Tuesday, citing the security situation.
"The safety and security of our passengers and crew remains the airline's highest priority," the airline said in a statement cited by Israeli media.
Other carriers continued operating while monitoring the situation and adjusting routes where necessary. Latest setback for regional aviation The disruption is the latest challenge facing Middle Eastern aviation since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February.
Airlines have repeatedly been forced to reroute services, avoid conflict zones and absorb higher operating costs as regional tensions have intensified.
Earlier this month, Kuwait International Airport was struck by an Iranian drone during retaliatory attacks linked to US military action in the Gulf, causing significant damage.
Despite the latest turbulence, much of the region's aviation network remains operational. According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, most Gulf airports continued functioning normally on Monday, with airspace across much of the Gulf remaining open.