Airlines Reroute as Iran Tensions Disrupt Mideast Travel

January 25, 2026 at 19:07 UTC

4 min read

Airlines reroute flights map showing Iran tensions and Middle East travel disruption

Key Points

A U.S. snowstorm and rising U.S.–Iran tensions are disrupting global air travel simultaneously.
Regulators in North America, Europe and Asia ordered airlines to avoid Iranian airspace.
KLM halted flights to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, offering refunds or delayed rebooking.
Major European and North American carriers have suspended or rerouted flights across the region.

Snowstorm and Geopolitical Tensions Hit Air Travel at Once

Airlines are contending with a combination of severe winter weather in North America and mounting geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, leading to widespread disruptions on both domestic and international routes. A snowstorm affecting much of the U.S. East Coast has prompted most North American airlines to cancel flights, while long-haul international carriers have begun rerouting or suspending services over the Middle East amid security concerns.

The geopolitical strain intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 23 that an American “armada” was heading toward Iran in response to the government’s crackdown on spreading protests, according to NBC News. Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official warned any U.S. interference would be viewed “as an all-out war against us.” Against this backdrop, aviation regulators across North America, Europe and Asia instructed airlines to avoid Iranian airspace as a precaution.

The result has been a rapid operational reset for many carriers flying between Europe, North America and destinations in the Gulf and broader Middle East. Airlines are altering routings to bypass multiple airspaces, in some cases opting to suspend services entirely until conditions stabilize, while also processing refunds and travel changes for affected customers.

KLM Suspends Services to Israel and Gulf States

Dutch flag carrier KLM has taken some of the most extensive steps so far, suspending all flights to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates until Jan. 26. The airline said it is “currently avoiding the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel as a precaution, as well as the airspace over several countries in the Gulf region,” and confirmed it will not operate flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam or Tel Aviv until further notice.

KLM said that passengers booked on the affected routes will not be rebooked until operations resume and the situation stabilizes. Travelers have been given the choice of waiting to be rebooked once flights restart or requesting a refund directly through the airline’s website. The carrier noted that its rerouting and suspension decisions follow the guidance of aviation regulators seeking to keep commercial traffic out of higher-risk skies.

According to reporting citing The New York Times, U.S. carriers Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines were already subject to an existing Federal Aviation Administration order blocking them from entering Iranian airspace, put in place after the 2019 downing of a U.S. drone. That restriction means their services to the region had already been using alternative routings before the latest escalation.

European Carriers Scale Back Middle East Operations

Other European airlines have moved quickly to cut exposure to affected airspace. Air France, part of the same Air France-KLM group, temporarily suspended its flights to Dubai International Airport at the end of the week before restarting some service, and said it is “monitoring developments” in the region. The carrier’s adjustments mirror those taken by its Dutch partner, focusing on route changes and selective suspensions rather than a complete withdrawal from the market.

British Airways and German flag carrier Lufthansa have also suspended flights to the broader region, with the Lufthansa decision extending to subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines. Other operators, including Luxembourg’s Luxair, Italy’s ITA Airways, Air Canada and Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air, have either rerouted flights or canceled services in response to the heightened risk of an Iran-related escalation.

KLM was reported as having the largest number of flight cancellations tied specifically to concerns over potential escalation in Iran. For passengers, the combined impact of carrier-by-carrier decisions is a more fragmented network into and across the Middle East, with fewer direct options, extended flight times on rerouted services, and a heavier reliance on refunds or future rebooking.

Key Takeaways

Heightened U.S.–Iran tensions have rapidly translated into concrete airspace restrictions from regulators and route changes by airlines.
KLM’s broad suspensions and refund policies illustrate how full-service carriers are prioritizing risk avoidance and flexibility for passengers.
With multiple European and North American airlines adjusting operations, travelers to Israel, the Gulf and surrounding areas should expect fewer routes and continued schedule volatility in the near term.