Transport Minister Urges Airlines Transiting Middle East to Heighten Alert Status

Jakarta – The conflict between Iran and Israel and the United States has had an impact on the aviation sector, particularly in the Middle East region.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has urged international airlines with routes destined for or transiting through the region to heighten their alert status.

“Some international flights transiting the Middle East have been affected, with some cancelled, but there are currently journeys that remain unaffected,” Dudy said in an official statement on Sunday, 1 March 2026.

“For this reason, we urge airlines to heighten their vigilance and passengers to actively monitor developments in information,” he added.

Airlines that have cancelled or suspended flights include Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Indigo Airlines, Srilanka Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Scoot.

Saudia Airlines is still monitoring several destination cities in the Middle East. Oman Air continues to operate normally. Ethiopian Airlines continues to fly but does not serve routes to Amman, Jordan, and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Dudy stated that the two national carriers transiting Middle East airspace, Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air, have not been affected by the conflict.

“Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air flights to Jeddah have not been affected, whilst Garuda Indonesia flights to Amsterdam have been rerouted via Cairo (Egypt),” he added.

A number of countries have closed 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.

“We have coordinated and requested that airlines monitor Middle East airspace conditions, including for hajj and umrah travel,” Dudy said.

Dudy also requested that airlines and airport operators provide assistance to affected passengers in accordance with procedures.

“This also includes the process of cancellation of travel documents in the immigration area, arrangement of accommodation and rescheduling of flights,” he added.

“We are ensuring that flight operations at all airports in Indonesia, particularly for international routes, continue safely, smoothly and operate optimally, both in the process of passenger departure and arrival,” he affirmed.