Iran attack prompts flight cancellations at JFK, across Middle East
Flights to the Middle East were canceled Saturday from Kennedy International Airport following the attack in Iran. Credit: Unsplash/©Preston A Larimer
The U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran is disrupting flights across the Middle East and beyond.
Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar closed their airspaces on Saturday. Airspace in southern Syria was also closed.
Some planes that were en route to cities like Tel Aviv and Dubai were diverted or returned to where they departed.
By noon Saturday, 11 flights in and out of Kennedy International Airport were cancelled, according to FlightAware. Departing flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel, Kuwait and Dubai were among the cancellations of flights bound for the Middle East.
There were no cancellations reported at LaGuardia, which serves mostly domestic flights, according to FlightAware's tracker.
The situation is changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport. Many major airlines are canceling flights to and from parts of the region through Sunday or early next week.
Dubai's airport operator said flights have been 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.
Newsday's Tara Smith and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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