Impact of Escalating Middle East Tensions on Flights to and from Indonesia
Escalating tensions in the Middle East are affecting aviation operations. A wave of airspace closures has occurred across several regional nations.
Middle East tensions intensified following combined Israeli and American military strikes on Iran on Saturday, 28 February. The operation, codenamed Epic Fury, resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and hundreds of other civilians.
Iran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes on Saturday, 28 February and Sunday, 1 March. On Saturday, 28 February, Iran also launched attacks on Riyadh and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
According to Flightradar24 data, Iran closed its entire airspace on 28 February until 12:00 UTC. Several other nations have taken similar measures.
As of the latest reports, the following airspaces are completely closed:
Iran
Iraq
Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
The airspaces of Jordan and Israel are also reported to be nearly empty, with only a few flights remaining that are landing or rerouting away from the affected area.
Flights to and from Indonesia Cancelled
The escalation in Middle East tensions has also affected flights to and from Indonesia. The Ministry of Transport (Kemenhub) announced that several international airlines have cancelled their services.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that he had received reports of numerous airlines suspending operations. Most of the airlines cancelling flights operate routes passing through the Middle East region.
“Airlines that have cancelled or ceased operations include Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Indigo Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Scoot,” said Dudy in a statement on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
“Saudia Airlines continues to monitor several Middle East destinations, whilst Ethiopian Airlines continues to operate normally but is not flying to Amman (Jordan) and Tel Aviv (Israel),” he added.
Two Domestic Airlines Remain Operational
Dudy stated that two domestic airlines continue operations, still serving routes to Jeddah and Amsterdam.
“Meanwhile, the two domestic airlines operating through Middle East airspace—Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air—are currently unaffected by the conflict. Minister Dudy noted that Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air flights to Jeddah have not been impacted, while Garuda Indonesia flights to Amsterdam are being rerouted via Cairo (Egypt),” he explained.
Dudy emphasised that aviation safety and security must remain a top priority. Kemenhub is coordinating with Airnav Indonesia, airlines, airport operators, and foreign authorities to update security information regarding Middle East airspace and ensure safe and smooth flight operations.
“Several nations have closed their airspace for all arrivals and departures, including both commercial and private flights. These countries include Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Syria,” he said.
“We have coordinated with and requested that airlines monitor Middle East airspace conditions, including for umrah travel,” he added.
Transport Minister Requests Airlines Support Affected Passengers
Subsequently, Dudy requested that airlines and airport operators provide assistance to affected passengers in accordance with applicable procedures. He wants affected passengers to continue receiving support.
“This includes the process of cancelling travel documents at immigration, arranging accommodation, and rescheduling flights,” he stressed.
Dudy urged all airlines to increase vigilance. He wants all information and developments to be communicated immediately.
“We therefore appeal to airlines to increase vigilance and passengers to actively monitor developments,” he said.
Dudy also confirmed that flight operations at all airports in Indonesia, particularly for international routes, will continue to operate safely, smoothly, and optimally, both for passenger departures and arrivals.