Major airlines suspend Middle East flights as tensions rise after Trump’s ‘armada’ warning

Top international airlines have cancelled flights to parts of the Middle East as geopolitical tensions escalate. Dutch carrier KLM, Germany’s Lufthansa and France’s Air France are among the major airlines to suspend services amid fears of a possible military confrontation between the US and Iran.

Key destinations affected by the cancellations include Israel, Dubai and Riyadh.

Airlines cite safety and security concerns

Citing the volatile geopolitical situation, Air France said it would temporarily suspend services to Dubai. Dutch airline KLM also halted flights that would require aircraft to enter the airspace of Iran, Iraq and other countries in the region.

“At least two European airlines cancelled flights to the Middle East on Friday,” as tensions between Washington and Tehran flared.

Air France said it was “constantly monitoring the evolution of the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft” to ensure “the highest level of safety and security” for its operations.
“Air France is monitoring the situation in real time and will provide further updates on its flight schedule,” the airline said.

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KLM suspends routes across the region

Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported on Friday that KLM had suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai, Dammam and Riyadh until further notice, without specifying the reason behind the decision. The airline also said it would avoid flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel and several Gulf nations, adding that it was in touch with Dutch authorities.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Lufthansa had earlier said it would not operate flights “from and to Tehran up to and including March 29.”

Escalating US–Iran tensions drive disruptions

The flight suspensions come amid growing fears that the US could use military force against Iran, raising concerns of a direct confrontation with Tehran following a violent crackdown on recent protests against the Ali Khamenei regime.

The situation intensified after US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that a US “armada” was heading towards the Gulf. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said Washington was closely monitoring Iran, even as Tehran announced the suspension of planned executions of protesters.

“Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the company has decided to temporarily suspend its service to Dubai,” France’s national carrier said in a statement to AFP.

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Trump issues warning from Air Force One

“We’re watching Iran,” Trump said while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return to Washington from Davos. “We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens.”

Claiming credit for halting executions in Iran, Trump added, “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely. I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday. They would have been dead. Everyone would have been hung. This is like from 1,000 years ago.”

He further said, “We have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”