OTTAWA — The strike on Iran by the U.S. and Israel has triggered widespread airspace closures and global flight disruptions, with Air Canada confirming suspended service to Israel and Dubai and evaluating when operations can safely resume.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is urging Canadians to shelter in place in Iran after it was attacked this morning by the United States and Israel.
Iranian media has reported strikes nationwide, with some of the first strikes appearing to hit areas around the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old leader was in his offices at the time of the strike.
A statement from Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand on Saturday said Canada is clear in its position that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East.”
Carney says that Canada supports Israel’s right to defend itself and the United States acting to prevent further threats by the Iranian regime to international peace and security.
An earlier statement from Anand said Canada’s ability to help those in Iran would be limited.
“There is no Canadian embassy in Iran and our ability to provide consular services is extremely limited, especially during an active conflict,” she said in her statement.
She also advised Canadians in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon to consider leaving “while commercial options remain available.”
The joint statement also noted that Iran has one of the world’s worst records on human rights and cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons.
AIR CANADA UPDATE
Travelweek reached out to Air Canada for flight updates to/from the region.
Air Canada’s Manager Corporate Communications, Peter Fitzpatrick, noted that Israeli airspace has been closed to commercial air traffic amid the military situation, and that Air Canada does not have flights to/from Israel today, Feb. 28. At this time, the airline’s next scheduled flight is set to depart to Israel on March 1.
Fitzpatrick also noted that Dubai’s airspace is also closed.
“Friday’s flight from Toronto to Dubai had departed yesterday evening but is returning to origin and will arrive back in Toronto this morning, and today’s flight from Dubai to Toronto is also cancelled. We are currently evaluating the situation to determine when flights will resume for Dubai,” he said.
Air Canada currently operates four flights a week to Israel and daily flights to Dubai. “Affected customers will be notified of their options, which include a full refund to the original form of payment if their flight is cancelled. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates accordingly. Air Canada’s top priority is the safety of its customers, crews and aircraft and this will be the determining factor in our decision-making,” Fitzpatrick told Travelweek.
GLOBAL FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS
In addition to Israel and United Arab Emirates, Qatar and southern Syria also closed their airspace.
Planes that were en route to cities like Tel Aviv and Dubai early Saturday were diverted or returned to where they took off from.
Dubai’s airport operator said flights were halted indefinitely at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international flights, and the Dubai World Central — Al Maktoum International Airport on the Gulf city’s outskirts.
The closure is likely to have significant ripple effects not only for Dubai-based Emirates but for many other airlines that fly in and out of the city.
Emirates said separately that it was temporarily suspending operations to and from Dubai International Airport.
Qatar Airways Group has temporarily canceled flights to and from Doha because of the airspace closures.
Dutch airline KLM had already announced earlier in the week that it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv starting Sunday.
Airlines including Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia, Qatar Airways, and Pegasus have canceled all flights to Lebanon.
Virgin Atlantic cancelled its flight from Heathrow Airport in London to Dubai and said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives and Riyadh could take slightly longer. The airline already was not flying over Iran. Virgin Atlantic said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.
British Airways said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain will be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman, Jordan, will be canceled Saturday.
United Airlines said flights en route to Tel Aviv and Dubai on Saturday morning were either diverted or returned to the U.S. The airline cancelled flights between the U.S. and Tel Aviv through Monday and flights between the U.S. and Dubai through Sunday. It issued a travel waiver so passengers can change their flights at no cost.
Turkish Airlines said on X that flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan will be suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman would be suspended on Saturday. The airline said additional cancellations may be announced.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS CANADA ADVISORY
Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advice for Iran this morning, Feb. 28, to red, recommending Canadians to avoid all travel amid ongoing hostilities in the region.
“Avoid all travel to Iran due to ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, as well as the risk of civil unrest, the high risk of arbitrary detention and the unpredictable enforcement of local laws. The Iranian authorities have arrested and/or detained individuals, including foreign and dual nationals, to exert political or diplomatic influence on their governments.
“You should leave Iran now if you can do so safely. Iranian airspace is closed until further notice, but there are overland crossing options. Our ability to provide consular services in Iran is extremely limited, especially during an active conflict. If you’re in Iran, prepare contingency plans that don’t rely on the Government of Canada’s assistance for evacuations or assisted departures.”
The advisory also noted that there are border crossing options in Türkiye and Armenia for those who wish to leave Iran.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
