Middle East airspace chaos: Etihad, Emirates flights diverted as Gulf tensions escalate

Key Highlights

• According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, two Etihad Airways flights bound for Abu Dhabi were diverted to Muscat, Oman, while an Emirates flight scheduled to land in Dubai appeared to turn back toward Mumbai, India.
• Several flights heading to Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were reported to be in holding patterns or returning to their departure cities following reports of an attack near the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital.
• The disruptions come amid reports of retaliatory strikes from Iran targeting multiple locations across the Gulf region, heightening security concerns and prompting precautionary airspace restrictions.
• UAE evacuation flights begin As tensions widened, a limited number of evacuation flights departed from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, allowing some stranded travellers to leave the United Arab Emirates.
• However, the majority of commercial services across the region remained suspended.