Türkiye updates airspace status after US-Israeli strikes on Iran

Türkiye's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure announced Sunday that multiple countries across the Middle East have implemented airspace closures and restrictions following the US-Israeli military operation against Iran. The ministry confirmed via its official NSosyal account that airspace regulations are now in effect over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, with no air traffic services being provided over Afghanistan.

The statement indicated that airspace regulations are also in place over the United Arab Emirates, specifically within the Emirates Flight Information Region (FIR). These sweeping measures have fundamentally altered the aviation landscape across the region, forcing commercial carriers to reroute flights and creating significant congestion in alternative corridors.

Airport Operations Disrupted

Regarding specific airport conditions, the ministry reported that Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv is now functioning with limited capacity, while four other Israeli aviation facilities—Haifa, Ramon, Rosh Pina and Herzliya airports—have been completely closed to traffic. In neighboring Syria, operations at Damascus and Aleppo international airports remain subject to change based on published Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs), creating uncertainty for carriers serving those destinations.

The ministry noted that most regional flights are now being channeled through a corridor connecting Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Southern Cyprus. Some traffic is also passing via northern Azerbaijan en route to Türkiye and European destinations, fundamentally shifting traditional flight patterns across the region.

Turkish Airspace Under Pressure

This redirection of regional air traffic has resulted in increased congestion within Turkish airspace, though authorities emphasized that all services continue to operate safely without disruption. On Saturday alone, 15 flights were forced to divert due to regional airspace closures, with nine of those aircraft redirected to Istanbul Airport, demonstrating Türkiye's critical role as an aviation hub during the crisis.

At Tehran Airport, two aircraft belonging to Turkish carriers—one from Turkish Airlines and another from Pegasus Airlines—remain on the ground awaiting clearance. The ministry confirmed that Turkish carriers are actively adjusting their flight routes in accordance with current restrictions, while authorities continue monitoring regional developments closely to manage any potential changes in airspace and airport conditions.

The military escalation that triggered these aviation disruptions began Saturday when Israel and the United States launched a joint operation against Iran, citing alleged threats from the "Iranian regime." The strikes followed Thursday's nuclear talks in Geneva, where both Washington and Tehran had described discussions as serious and constructive under Omani mediation.