The war involving Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other is now spreading to other Middle Eastern countries. On the afternoon of 23 June 2025, Iran launched six ballistic missiles at US bases in Qatar, with explosions heard in the capital, Doha, while another missile was fired at a US base in Iraq. In response, the Qatari government announced the closure of its airspace, and the United Arab Emirates unveiled an emergency airport plan, potentially a precursor to its own airspace shutdown. These measures follow earlier closures of the airspace over Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
The Qatari government stated that the decision was taken "to ensure the safety of citizens, residents and visitors" and that "this measure is part of a series of precautionary steps taken in response to developments in the region". The operational impact was immediate: radar data from FlightRadar24 already showed flights bound for Doha altering course. The closure has a particularly significant effect on Qatar Airways, one of the most internationally active carriers, which uses Doha’s Hamad International Airport as a strategic hub connecting more than 170 global destinations.
For now, neighbouring United Arab Emirates has not fully closed its airspace but has activated an airport emergency plan to manage flight disruptions. This continuity plan was approved after Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their skies. Flight operations in the UAE remain largely unaffected despite the ongoing military escalation across the Middle East.
Dozens of airlines, caught off guard by the decision, are now scrambling to identify alternative routes for aircraft operating in or originally scheduled to pass through Qatari airspace. It remains unclear when the airspace might reopen. The closure particularly affects local carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and FlyDubai, all of which operate extensive intercontinental services. Several flights have been diverted to Saudi Arabia, the UAE or returned to their points of origin.
The shutdown of large swathes of Middle Eastern airspace has forced airlines to redraw flight paths between Europe and Asia. Pakistan and Afghanistan have emerged as vital corridors, with overflights of Afghanistan increasing by 500%, from an average of 50 to 280 daily flights since 13 June, while Saudi Arabia’s airspace has seen traffic double to around 1,400 overflights a day, compared to 700 in mid-May.
