Airlines Divert From Gulf Region as Iran Crisis Reverberates

Global airlines felt the brunt of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, as missile exchanges forced carriers to navigate around a wide swath of territory, tear up flight schedules and turn around aircraft mid-flight.

Qatar suspended flights over its airspace late Monday, shortly before Iran launched a missile strike at a US air base in the country around 7:45 p.m. local time. Qatar’s move effectively halted operations of its namesake airline and forced dozens of flights from carriers including Etihad, Emirates and FlyDubai out of position. Other Persian Gulf states followed suit, including Bahrain and Kuwait.