Arab states closed their airspace following Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel, but many flights remain affected.
Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon have reopened their airspace after being closed due to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attacks on Israel.
Jordanian state television said on Sunday that the country had resumed air travel, citing aviation authorities. The airspace was opened more than three hours earlier than planned.
Lebanon said its airport would resume operations after the overnight closure, state television reported.
The Iraqi aviation authority said the security risks had now been overcome.
Meanwhile, Israel also reopened its airspace at 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) on Sunday, adding that Tel Aviv’s flight schedules were expected to be affected.
El Al airline said it had resumed operations and was “working to stabilize the flight schedule as quickly as possible.” “El Al will continue to work as much as possible to maintain the airlift to and from Israel,” it said.
Late Saturday evening, Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel, its first direct attack on Israeli territory in a retaliatory strike that raises the risk of a wider regional conflict.
Tehran had vowed to retaliate for what it said was an Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus last week that killed a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force and six other officers.
Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, has prepared its air defenses to intercept any drones or missiles that violate its territory, two regional security sources told Reuters.
Jordan said it intercepted some flying objects entering its airspace last night to ensure the safety of citizens, a Cabinet statement said.
“During this time, some splinters fell in several places without causing any significant damage or injuries to the citizens,” it continues.
The response to Iran’s attacks was swift. Many countries described the attacks as a serious escalation with potentially far-reaching consequences for the region.
The attacks come amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which shows no signs of easing despite numerous mediation efforts.
Meanwhile, global airlines have also canceled flights and changed routes following Iran’s attacks.
United Arab Emirates-based airline Emirates announced the cancellation of some of its flights and the diversion of other flights, the airline’s spokesman said.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are making every effort to minimize disruption to customers following the recent airspace closures,” an airline spokesman said.
Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad Airways canceled flights to Jordan and Israel on Sunday, the airline said in a statement.
Swiss International Air Lines has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, the airline said in a post on the social media platform X on Sunday.
Swiss, owned by German airline Lufthansa, said all its planes were avoiding the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel, causing delays to flights from India and Singapore.