What to know
- Air Canada has suspended all flights to and from Dubai and Tel Aviv due to escalating military instability in the Middle East, with service tentatively set to resume March 23.
- The cancellations follow a U.S. and Israeli strike on Iran, after which Iran, Israel, the UAE, Qatar, and Syria closed their airspaces, prompting widespread regional flight disruptions.
- The Government of Canada has updated travel advisories, warning Canadians to avoid all travel to several countries in the region and urging those abroad to seek consular assistance if needed.
Air Canada has announced a series of flight cancellations with destinations in the Middle East after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack in Iran over the weekend.
As of Monday afternoon, Canada’s largest airline has suspended all flights to and from Dubai and Tel Aviv over military instability in the Middle East. The airline currently estimates that flights will only restart on March 23.
On Saturday, the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran, after the countries failed to reach a deal over an Iranian nuclear program. The attack resulted in the killing of Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and instability in the region. These strikes came afterIsrael launched other attacks on Iran’s capital, Tehran, and the country retaliated by firing against Israel and U.S. military installations.
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Air Canada customers who are in the region are being advised to stay away from the airport and visit the Air Canada website to change their flights free of charge. Those with cancelled flights will be contacted directly by the airline with possible travel changes.
Those whose flights to the Middle East were not cancelled but would still like to modify or cancel their travel plans might also be eligible for free changes under certain conditions. They’ll be able to update their itinerary if they’ve purchased a ticket earlier than Feb. 28 with trips scheduled between now and March 15, with destinations at:
- Abu Dhabi
- Amman
- Beirut
- Dammam
- Dubai
- Erbil
- Tel Aviv
The airline’s announcement comes after Iran, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Syria closed their airspaces following the attack on the weekend.
Besides Air Canada, several other airlines have announced flight cancellations since then.
Following a Sunday announcement of suspension of all flights to and from Dubai until 6 a.m. EST time on March 3, Emirates advised customers that it would begin operating a few limited flights in the region. The airline said it would contact customers directly about rebooking their flights, and advised travelers to not go to the airport unless they’ve been notified to do so.
Airways also confirmed their flight operations to Doha had been suspended since Saturday due to airspace closures, and said it would provide an update of the service at 1 a.m. EST time on March 3.
The Government of Canada has updated its travel advisories following the conflict, with Canadians being warned against all travel to several countries, including:
- Bahrain
- Kuwait
- United Arab Emirates
- Qatar
- Iran
- Palestine
- Israel
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are currently in the Middle East and are in need of emergency consular assistance are being advised to contact me-mo.sos@international.gc.ca for help.
