National flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and the country's other airline companies have canceled flights to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan until Monday after Israel's attack on Iran, a top official said Friday.
The announcement came as airlines steered clear of much of the Middle East on Friday after Israel launched strikes on Iranian sites, forcing carriers to cancel or divert thousands of flights in the latest upheaval to travel in the region.
Due to the heightened security risks in the region, the airspaces of Israel, Iran, Syria and Iraq have been temporarily closed to air traffic.
Turkish authorities have taken necessary precautions, and flight routes have been replanned to avoid the affected airspaces, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
"Turkish Airlines, along with other relevant airline operators, have canceled their flights to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan until Monday, June 16, 2025," Uraloğlu wrote on the social media platform X.
About 1,800 flights to and from Europe had been affected so far on Friday, including approximately 650 canceled flights, according to Eurocontrol.
Earlier on Friday, a company source said AJet, a Turkish Airlines subsidiary, had suspended flights to Iran, Iraq and Jordan until Monday morning.
The source said that AJet would operate flights to Lebanon only during daylight hours. It planned to operate flights to elsewhere in the Middle East, including flying over Iraq without using the affected airspace, the source added.
Budget carrier Pegasus Airlines said it had canceled flights to Iran until June 19 and flights to Iraq and Jordan until Monday.
The company said in a statement that it would operate flights to Lebanon only during daylight hours.
SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, said its Friday flights to Lebanon and Jordan were canceled.
The carrier also said Iranian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Jordanian and Israeli airspace would be avoided.
Proliferating conflict zones around the world are becoming an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, and more of a safety concern. Detours add to airlines' fuel costs and lengthen journey times.
Israel on Friday claimed it targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
In retaliation, Iran had launched about 100 drones toward Israeli territory. Washington said it was not involved in the Israeli offensive.
World leaders urged restraint, while Trump urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program, saying that there was still time for the country to prevent further conflict with Israel.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday warned that Israel was seeking to drag the world into "disaster" after strikes on Iran, urging the international community to stop what he called Israel's "banditry."
A vocal critic of Israel and a fervent advocate of the Palestinian cause, Erdoğan said Israel was carrying "its strategy of drowning our region, especially Gaza, in blood, tears and instability to a very dangerous stage."
Israel's genocidal attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 2023 have led to commercial aviation sharing the skies with short-notice barrages of drones and missiles across major flight paths – some of which were reportedly close enough to be seen by pilots and passengers.
"Israel's attacks on our neighbor Iran are a clear provocation that disregards international law," Erdoğan said.
"The international community must put an end to Israeli banditry that targets global and regional stability," said Erdoğan.
"The Netanyahu administration is trying to drag our region and the entire world into disaster with its reckless, aggressive and lawless actions," he added.
