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Airlines Scramble to Divert Flights after Iran Missile Attack

Israeli rescue force members inspect the site where a missile fired from Iran towards Israel hit a school building, in central Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli rescue force members inspect the site where a missile fired from Iran towards Israel hit a school building, in central Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
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Airlines Scramble to Divert Flights after Iran Missile Attack

Israeli rescue force members inspect the site where a missile fired from Iran towards Israel hit a school building, in central Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli rescue force members inspect the site where a missile fired from Iran towards Israel hit a school building, in central Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel's neighbors closed airspace and airline crews skirted an escalating conflict, with many seeking diversions, after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for tracking service FlightRadar24 said flights diverted "anywhere they could", and a snapshot of regional traffic showed flights spreading in wide arcs to the north and south, with many converging on Cairo and Istanbul.

FlightRadar24 said Istanbul and Antalya in southern Türkiye were becoming congested, forcing some airlines to divert south.

On Tuesday, about 80 flights, operated by the likes of Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and bound for major Middle East hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, were diverted to places such as Cairo and European cities, its data showed.

Many airlines have also suspended flights to the region or are avoiding use of affected air space.

Iran launched the strikes in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, and Israel vowed a "painful response" against its enemy.

Earlier, Eurocontrol, a pan-European air traffic control agency, had warned pilots of the escalating conflict.

"A major missile attack has been launched against Israel in the last few minutes," it said in an urgent navigation bulletin. "At present the entire country is under a missile warning."

Shortly afterwards it announced the closure of Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, as well as the closure of a key crossing point into airspace controlled by Cyprus.

An Iraqi pilot bulletin said its Baghdad-controlled airspace was closed until further notice, due to security concerns.

Iraq's transport ministry later re-opened its airspace to civilian flights using its airports. On X, FlightRadar24 said, "It will be a while before flights are active there again."

Jordan also re-opened its airspace after a closure following the volley of Iranian missiles towards Israel, the Jordanian state news agency said.

Lebanon's airspace will be closed to air traffic for a two-hour period on Tuesday, Transport Minister Ali Hamie said on X.

The latest disruptions are expected to deal a further blow to an industry already face curbs due to conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and Russia and Ukraine.

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Missile Exchanges between Iran, Israel Turn Lebanese Skies into Aerial Frontline

Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)
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Missile Exchanges between Iran, Israel Turn Lebanese Skies into Aerial Frontline

Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP)

Lebanese skies have turned into a daily theater of missiles streaking across between Iran and Israel, with the country’s geography making it a frontline in their aerial confrontation.

Missiles launched towards Israeli cities like Haifa and Tel Aviv must begin their descent trajectory over Lebanon, forcing Israeli air defense systems to intercept the threats near Lebanon’s southern and eastern borders.

Since Friday night, Lebanese people have witnessed a variety of projectiles, ranging from Iranian missiles and drones to Israeli air defense rockets, intersecting mid-air near Lebanon’s airspace.

Some fly in droves over Lebanese territory, others collide in the sky, while others veer off course, leaving fiery trails visible above the country.

Israeli interception launches come from multiple locations: the Mediterranean Sea to the west, the Golan Heights to the east, and central and northern Israel south of Lebanon.

Military and strategic affairs researcher Mustafa Asaad said Iranian forces have employed about 13 different types of missiles and projectiles in their attacks since last Friday.

In response, Israel is deploying five separate air defense systems operating at various altitudes.

Asaad explained that each missile type follows distinct flight paths and heights. Some travel at fixed altitudes, others maneuver to evade interception, and some even breach the atmosphere altogether.

This complex choreography aims to allow a few missiles, typically two or three, to bypass Israel’s air defenses and reach their targets.

Asaad added that Lebanese observers tend to see the missiles more clearly because they witness the final descent phase, when projectiles begin their downward trajectory toward targets.

While drones are rarely visible to the naked eye except when intercepted, Lebanese people in the south and to a lesser extent in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and Mount Lebanon frequently observe Iranian projectiles in flight.

Asaad explained this visibility occurs because these projectiles are often in their final stages, descending toward impact. “What we see are mostly medium-range missiles flying at altitudes low enough to be visible at night,” he said.

In contrast, missiles flying at higher altitudes become visible only during their final drop or when intercepted by Israeli air defenses, producing distinct explosions resembling stars or meteors. Missiles in these higher atmospheric layers are typically targeted by Israel’s missile defense systems.

In recent days, residents in southern Lebanon have witnessed several Iranian missiles descending in “convoy-like” formations toward Israel.

Some estimates suggest these projectiles’ warheads may split into two, four, or six parts when hit by Israeli interceptors, usually targeting the missile’s main body, creating the illusion of multiple missiles traveling together.

However, Asaad cast doubt on this theory, saying, “There is no evidence that Iran possesses such technology.”

He explained that the missiles observed in images are single-warhead ballistic missiles launched from a single platform, flying closely in a group along the same trajectory.

Asaad noted that Tehran’s missile arsenal does not yet match the sophistication of Russia’s recent systems, some of which were used in a major strike on Ukraine two weeks ago and featured advanced defenses like decoy flares designed to confuse air defenses.