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Several European air carriers have suspended or adjusted flights to destinations in the Middle East, citing safety concerns as tensions rise between the United States and Iran and Washington deploys naval assets to the region.
Airlines said the measures were taken as a precaution amid fears of wider disruption across the Persian Gulf.
Air France said late Friday it had “temporarily” suspended services to Dubai due to the current situation in the region, stressing that passenger and crew safety remains its “absolute imperative.”
The airline canceled two Paris–Dubai flights on Friday, leading to the cancellation of two return flights from Dubai to Paris scheduled for Saturday.
Air France said further updates on its schedule would be announced later.
Dutch flag carrier KLM also halted flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, as well as to Tel Aviv, until further notice.
The airline said it is avoiding airspace over several Gulf countries, along with Iran, Iraq, and Israel, as a precaution.
Luxembourg’s flag carrier, Luxair, canceled several flights to Dubai, including a service scheduled for Saturday morning that was postponed by 24 hours, RTL News reported.
Germany’s Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it suspended flights to Tehran until March 28, while services to Tel Aviv and Jordan’s capital, Amman, will operate only during daytime hours until the end of the month.
Italian ITA Airways announced it is suspending overnight flights to Israel until Tuesday, according to Israeli news portal Ynet.
British Airways earlier this month temporarily halted flights to Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
The flight disruptions followed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump that American naval assets were being deployed to the Middle East, raising concerns of possible military action against Iran.
Trump said Thursday that a U.S. naval “armada” was heading toward the Gulf.
The Pentagon also confirmed that the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln had been redirected from the South China Sea to the region.
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