Israel shuts airspace after Iranian missile strikes
Shafaq News/ Israel fully closed its airspace on Sunday following Iranian missile strikes that reportedly targeted several sites, including Ben Gurion International Airport.
While Israeli authorities have not confirmed a direct hit on the airport, the move came shortly after Tehran launched long-range missiles in response to US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The Israeli Airports Authority announced the complete suspension of civilian air traffic after the Israeli Home Front Command issued an open-ended directive. The directive followed the joint American-Israeli attack on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. As a result, all incoming and outgoing flights were halted, and aircraft already in the air were rerouted, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Israel’s national carriers, El Al and Arkia, said on Sunday they had suspended ongoing rescue flights and canceled all scheduled services until further notice. El Al confirmed it would not resume operations before June 27. Israir also grounded its entire fleet. Despite the air closure, land crossings into Jordan and Egypt remain open.
The escalation triggered a broader crisis in regional aviation. According to FlightRadar24, commercial flights have been avoiding airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Israel due to security risks. Airlines have been rerouting north via the Caspian Sea or south through Egypt and Saudi Arabia, resulting in longer flight times and higher operational costs.
“Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week,” FlightRadar24 stated on X.
Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week. Image from 01:45 UTC 22 June. pic.twitter.com/IeJBa9kvF4
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 22, 2025
Since Israel’s June 13 strikes on Iran, many international carriers have already suspended flights to regional destinations. Evacuation flights from neighboring countries have continued in limited numbers.
