Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation issued an urgent advisory on Saturday, 28 February, stating it is actively tracking regional developments in the wake of military strikes against Iran and assessing their potential effects on air traffic across parts of the Middle East airspace.
The ministry confirmed that it is fully coordinating with both domestic and international aviation authorities to maintain the highest possible safety and security standards for civil aviation operations.
In its statement, the ministry urged traveling passengers to check their flight information and reach out to their airlines directly or through official channels to confirm departure and arrival times and any changes to their schedules.
Emirates, Dubai’s flagship carrier, also announced Saturday that it has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai International Airport, citing multiple regional airspace closures triggered by escalating military hostilities across the Middle East.
Various international airlines have also suspended flights to the region, including Qatar Airways, British Airways, Wizz Air, Japan Airlines, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Lufthansa, Indigo, Iberia, and KLM.
The closures and the advisory come as the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday morning with the stated goal of toppling the regime, an operation confirmed by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israel and a US naval base in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, with an Iranian official declaring all US and Israeli interests in the region as legitimate targets.
The US Department of Defence announced the operation is codenamed ‘Operation Epic Fury.’
Iran has fully closed its airspace until further notice, while Israel has also closed its airspace to all passenger flights and activated civil defense protocols. Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority similarly halted all air traffic over Iraqi territory.
The strikes have derailed ongoing diplomatic efforts, with nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran having taken place as recently as this past week in Geneva. Trump stated the US had repeatedly sought a deal, but Iran had rejected every opportunity to give up its nuclear ambitions.
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