Jordan, Lebanon and Syria reopened their airspace on Saturday after it was closed following missile attacks by Israel on Iran’s nuclear sites on Friday.
The announcements came despite Iran and Israel continuing to launch tit-for-tat strikes on Saturday.
Jordanian airspace reopened at 7.30am, while Lebanon said its airspace is open for flights, according to the state news agency.
Middle East Airlines also announced the resumption of all outbound and inbound flights from Beirut, NNA reported.
Syria also said on Saturday that it has reopened its airspace after “the circumstances necessitated the temporary closure of some air corridors during the past period”, according to Sana news agency. Syrian Airlines was resuming flights.
Other countries in the region, including Iran and Iraq, had also shut their airspace. The restrictions led to widespread travel disruption after airlines cancelled and delayed flights.
Iran originally announced its airspace would be closed until 2pm on Saturday, while the Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Friday that the “complete suspension of air traffic at all Iraqi airports and the closure of Iraqi airspace” would continue until further notice.
On Friday, Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran, killing senior military officials and hitting key nuclear sites.
Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, raising fears of a wider Middle East war.
Later on Saturday, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said that “Tehran will burn” if Iran did not stop firing missiles at his country.
Etihad suspends flights to Tel Aviv and Amman
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport was closed, with the UAE’s Etihad Airways announcing cancellation of services to and from Tel Aviv.
“Etihad continues to experience disruption to several services due to airspace closures and the ongoing regional situation,” Etihad's duty media officer told The National in a statement on Saturday.
As a result, all flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on June 14, June 15 and June 16 have been cancelled. Flights between Abu Dhabi and Amman, and Abu Dhabi and Beirut will resume on June 15 with a revised flight schedule for guests with existing bookings.
“Additionally, Etihad continues to re-route several flights in response to restricted airspace in parts of the Middle East,” the statement said.
Travellers transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to flights that have been cancelled will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin. Affected guests are being assisted with alternative travel arrangements, the statement said.
“This remains a developing situation which is likely to cause some disruption and delays over the coming days,” the Abu Dhabi airline said.
Emirates cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran.
Other major airlines, including Lufthansa and Air India, rerouted services mid-flight on Friday.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
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Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
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1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
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4 D Johnson (US)
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
